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APOD

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.

A composite showing many meteors trails streaking across a sky featuring the familiar constellation of Orion. In the foreground two people sit in adjoining chairs facing away from the camera, one holding a wand with a glowing star at the end. Please see the explanation for more detailed information.

Leonid Meteors Through Orion

Explanation: Where will the next meteor appear? Even during a meteor shower, it is practically impossible to know. Therefore, a good way to enjoy a meteor shower is to find a place where you can sit comfortably and monitor a great expanse of dark sky. And it may be satisfying to share this experience with a friend. The meteor shower depicted was the 2022 Leonids and the view is from Hainan, China looking out over the South China Sea. Meteor streaks captured over a few hours were isolated and added to a foreground image recorded earlier. Leonid meteor streaks trace back to the constellation of Leo and were here seen streaking across the constellation of Orion. The bright red planet Mars appears near the top of the image. The Leonids peak in mid-November every year and so will peak again this week. Bonding over their love of astronomy, the two pictured meteor enthusiasts, shown celebrating their common birthday this month, were later married.

Tomorrow's picture: open space

Date: November 15, 2026
Credit & Copyright: Luo Hongyang
Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff, Jerry Bonnell, Cecilia Chirenti, Keighley Rockcliffe
A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC,
NASA Science Activation & Michigan Tech. U.