September 16, 2023
On the day you were born, the universe did what it has always done best: transformed chaos into beauty.
Fireball over Iceland
Birthday · September 16, 2023
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APOD published September 16, 2023. Credit: Jennifer Franklin. A publication-date match, not a photo taken on your date. Independent of NASA.
On September 12, from a location just south of the Arctic Circle, stones of Iceland's modern Arctic Henge point skyward in this startling scene. Entertaining an intrepid group of aurora hunters during a geomagnetic storm, alluring northern lights dance across the darkened sky when a stunning fireball meteor explodes. Awestruck, the camera-equipped skygazers captured video and still images of the boreal bolide, at its peak about as bright as a full moon. Though quickly fading from view, the fireball left a lingering visible trail or persistent train. The wraith-like trail was seen for minutes wafting in the upper atmosphere at altitudes of 60 to 90 kilometers along with the auroral glow.
Image credit: Jennifer Franklin