Shuttle and Meteor

Explanation: This early morning skyscape was captured last week on August 4th, looking northeast across calm waters in the Turn Basin at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. In a striking contrast in motion, the space shuttle Discovery , mounted on a massive transporter, creeps toward launch pad 39A at less than two miles per hour, while a brilliant meteor streaks through the sky traveling many miles per second. Of course, this week skywatchers have seen many similar meteor streaks during the annual Perseid meteor shower . But the meteor flashing above Discovery is not likely to be one of the Perseids because its path doesn't point back to that shower's radiant . Seen here near picture center, brilliant planet Venus still dominates the sky as the Morning Star , though. Yellowish tinted Mars lies near the top of the frame and Orion's red giant star Betelgeuse is toward the right.