November 27, 2024
The night sky on your birthday is never quite the same twice — the planets shift, the constellations drift, the Moon wears a different phase.
The Meteor and the Comet
Birthday · November 27, 2024
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APOD published November 27, 2024. Credit: Wang Hao; Processing: Song Wentao. A publication-date match, not a photo taken on your date. Independent of NASA.
How different are these two streaks? The streak on the upper right is Comet Tsuchinshan-Atlas showing an impressive dust tail. The comet is a large and dirty iceberg that entered the inner Solar System and is shedding gas and dust as it is warmed by the Sun's light. The streak on the lower left is a meteor showing an impressive evaporation trail. The meteor is a small and cold rock that entered the Earth's atmosphere and is shedding gas and dust as it is warmed by molecular collisions. The meteor was likely once part of a comet or asteroid -- perhaps later composing part of its tail. The meteor was gone in a flash and was only caught by coincidence during a series of exposures documenting the comet's long tail. The featured image was captured just over a month ago from Sichuan Province in China. Gallery: Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS in 2024
Image credit: Wang Hao; Processing: Song Wentao