Astronomy Picture of the Day

Explanation: Whatdunit? What just disappeared while crossing a partially eclipsed Sun? Let’s present the evidence. The 24 frames-per-second video was taken in Spain (40°34'30.3"N 1°12'28.8"W) at 20:28 local time on August 12, 2026 during the solar eclipse. The Perseids meteor shower was at its peak during this time. Is this a meteor? The path of a meteor shower traces back to a specific region of the sky called a radiant point that corresponds to where the Earth is crossing a comet’s path (Comet 109/Swift-Tuttle for the Perseids). Does the object’s path trace back to the Perseids’ radiant point in the Perseus constellation? Are other properties of the object, such as speed, brightness, and apparent trail length, typical for meteors? If not a meteor, perhaps sunlight reflecting off of a thin cloud or an airplane contrail. The APOD editors would like to hear your thoughts and reasoning in today’s discussion thread!