Astronomy Picture of the Day

   [1]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.

                              2025 December 15
   [2]A picturesque winter landscape is seen before a dark but busy sky. A
     stream and a house are visible in the foreground, while snow-capped
    mountains are seen on the far horizon. In the sky are many stars and
      many streaks caused by meteors. Also some red gaseous nebulas are
      visible in the sky. Please see the explanation for more detailed
                                information.

                  Gemini Meteors over Snow Capped Mountains
               Image Credit & Copyright: [3]Tomáš Slovinský

   Explanation: Where are all of these meteors coming from? In terms of
   direction on the sky, the pointed answer is the [4]constellation of
   Gemini. That is why the major [5]meteor shower in December is known as
   the [6]Geminids -- because shower meteors all appear to come from a
   [7]radiant toward Gemini. Three dimensionally, however, [8]sand-sized
   debris expelled from the unusual asteroid [9]3200 Phaethon follows a
   well-defined orbit about our Sun, and the part of the orbit that
   approaches [10]Earth is superposed in front of the [11]constellation of
   Gemini. Therefore, when Earth [12]crosses this orbit, the [13]radiant
   point of [14]falling debris appears in Gemini. [15]Featured here is a
   composite of [16]many images taken over the past few days through dark
   skies from [17]Slovakia and capturing the snow-covered peaks of the
   [18]Belianske Tatra mountains Numerous [19]bright meteor streaks from
   the [20]Geminids meteor shower are visible. [21]Orion is visible above
   the horizon, while the bright star nearest the radiant is [22]Castor.

              APOD Review: [23]RJN's Night Sky Network Lecture
                      Tomorrow's picture: tree sprites
     __________________________________________________________________

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    Authors & editors: [35]Robert Nemiroff ([36]MTU) & [37]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([38]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Amber Straughn [39]Specific rights apply.
            [40]NASA Web Privacy, [41]Accessibility, [42]Notices;
                A service of: [43]ASD at [44]NASA / [45]GSFC,
                         [46]NASA Science Activation
                           & [47]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2512/GeminidWinter_Slovinsky_1303.jpg
   3. https://www.instagram.com/slovinsky.art/
   4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gemini_(constellation)
   5. https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/meteor-shower/
   6. https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/meteors-meteorites/geminids/
   7. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap221225.html
   8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meteors
   9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3200_Phaethon
  10. https://science.nasa.gov/earth/facts/
  11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gemini_(constellation)
  12. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap180808.html
  13. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radiant_(meteor_shower)
  14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap210815.html
  15. https://www.instagram.com/p/DSQXIXFAg8B/
  16. https://live.staticflickr.com/5613/15634745431_af629b9374.jpg
  17. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovakia
  18. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belianske_Tatras
  19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap081125.html
  20. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geminids
  21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240131.html
  22. https://earthsky.org/brightest-stars/best-castor-brightest-second-magnitude-star/
  23. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_txUmGTtBhQ
  24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap251214.html
  25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  28. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  29. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  30. https://apod.com/feed.rss
  31. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  32. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  33. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=251215
  34. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap251216.html
  35. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  36. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  37. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  38. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  39. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  40. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  41. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/
  42. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/
  43. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  44. https://www.nasa.gov/
  45. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  46. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  47. http://www.mtu.edu/