APOD: 2026 August 3 – Vaporizing Meteor Photobombs the Lacerta Nebula
The post APOD: 2026 August 3 – Vaporizing Meteor Photobombs the Lacerta Nebula appeared first on NASA Science .
On August 3, 2026, an Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD) highlighted a meteor that appeared and vanished in a single exposure of the Great Lacerta Nebula. The nebula, faintly visible in red at the center of the image, was captured from Death Valley Observatories in Nevada, USA. The meteoroid, likely a small pebble, created its glow by heating and exciting the surrounding air in Earth's atmosphere.
However, the meteoroid itself vaporized and left behind wind-blown gas and dust, revealing clues about its composition. Currently, there are three meteor showers ongoing, but they are competing with the bright glow of a gibbous Moon. The most active, the Perseids, will peak in about 10 days once the Moon has dimmed. This year, the Perseids coincide with a new Moon and, from certain locations, a total solar eclipse, making for a unique celestial event.
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