November 17, 2000
Long before your first heartbeat, stars were busy forging the elements you would one day call your own.
Leonid Sunrise
Birthday · November 17, 2000
A little universe, just for you
Your date.
Ready to give.
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APOD published November 17, 2000. Credit: Wally Pacholka. A publication-date match, not a photo taken on your date. Independent of NASA.
Such beautiful things begin as grains of sand. Locked in an oyster a granule grows into an iridescent pearl, lustrous and lovely to behold. While hurtling through the atmosphere at 70 kilometers per second, a cosmic sand grain becomes an awe-inspiring meteor, its transient beauty displayed for any who care to watch. Framed perfectly between orange clouds at sunrise, this bright meteor trail was photographed from the Joshua Tree National Park in California, USA during the 1998 Leonid Meteor Shower. Appropriately titled "Leonid Sunrise", the picture was recorded on high-speed film (ASA 3200) with a 35mm camera. Its striking colors and grainy, textured appearance suggest a painting on canvas. Of course, you could see Leonid meteors at sunrise for yourself. With clear skies, your next chance is coming up ... tomorrow morning.
Image credit: Wally Pacholka