Spiral Meteor through the Heart Nebula

Explanation: What is this meteor doing? Dynamically, the unusually short and asymmetric train may indicate that the sand-sized grain at the center of the glow is momentarily spinning as it ablates , causing its path to be slightly spiral . Geographically, the meteor appears to be going through the Heart Nebula , although really it is in Earth's atmosphere and so is about one quad rillion times closer. Taken last month on the night of the peak , this meteor is likely from the Perseid meteor shower. The Perseids radiant , in the constellation of Perseus, is off the frame to the upper right, toward the direction that the meteor streak is pointing. The Heart Nebula was imaged in 18 one-minute exposures, of which the unusual meteor streak appeared on just one. The meteor train is multicolored as its glow emanates from different elements in the heated gas.

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