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.

                               2021 October 12
      [2]The picture shows a bright meteor fireball over Lake Louise in
        Alberta, Canada. Please see the explanation for more detailed
                                information.

                          Fireball over Lake Louise
                    Image Credit & Copyright: [3]Hao Qin

   Explanation: What makes a meteor a fireball? First of all, everyone
   agrees that a [4]fireball is an exceptionally bright meteor. Past that,
   the [5]International Astronomical Union [6]defines a fireball as a
   meteor brighter than [7]apparent magnitude -4, which corresponds
   (roughly) to being brighter than any planet -- as well as bright enough
   to cast a human-noticeable shadow. Pictured, an astrophotographer
   taking a long-duration sky image captured by accident the brightest
   [8]meteor he had ever seen. Clearly a [9]fireball, the disintegrating
   space-rock created a trail so bright it [10]turned night into day for
   about two seconds earlier this month. The [11]fireball has been
   artificially dimmed in the featured image to bring up foreground
   [12]Lake Louise in [13]Alberta, [14]Canada. Although [15]fireballs are
   rare, many people have been lucky enough to see them. If [16]you see a
   fireball, you can [17]report it. If more than one person recorded an
   image, the [18]fireball might be [19]traceable back to the [20]Solar
   System body from which it was [21]ejected.

                      Tomorrow's picture: big question
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    Authors & editors: [33]Robert Nemiroff ([34]MTU) & [35]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([36]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Phillip Newman [37]Specific rights apply.
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                A service of: [39]ASD at [40]NASA / [41]GSFC
                           & [42]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2110/FireballAlberta_Qin_5568.jpg
   3. mailto:%20qinhao6999%20at%20gmail%20dot%20com
   4. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap171225.html
   5. https://www.iau.org/administration/about/
   6. https://www.iau.org/public/themes/meteors_and_meteorites/
   7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apparent_magnitude
   8. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/asteroids-comets-and-meteors/meteors-and-meteorites/overview/
   9. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap210315.html
  10. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap130218.html
  11. https://cneos.jpl.nasa.gov/fireballs/
  12. https://youtu.be/4K5sCmRV54Y
  13. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alberta
  14. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canada
  15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap130209.html
  16. https://i.pinimg.com/550x/81/21/c0/8121c0291fa14d1fe52b9eb007741cac.jpg
  17. https://www.imo.net/fireball-over-adriatic-sea-on-august-18/
  18. https://fireballs.ndc.nasa.gov/
  19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap090511.html
  20. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/solar-system/our-solar-system/overview/
  21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap200916.html
  22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap211011.html
  23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  26. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss
  29. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  30. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  31. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=211012
  32. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap211013.html
  33. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  34. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  35. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  36. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  37. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  38. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  39. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  40. https://www.nasa.gov/
  41. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  42. http://www.mtu.edu/