APOD: 2026 August 19 – The Case of the Mysterious Maybe Meteor

On August 12, 2026, a video captured at 20:28 local time in Spain showed a mysterious object crossing a partially eclipsed Sun. This footage was taken in a region near 40°34’30.3″N 1°12’28.8″W. The Perseids meteor shower was at its peak during this period, which led to speculation that the object could be a meteor. Meteor showers typically originate from a region of the sky called a radiant point, which corresponds to the Earth crossing a comet's path.

In this case, the object's path might trace back to the Perseids' radiant point in the constellation Perseus. However, the object's path was not as extensive as expected for a meteor, and its brightness did not extend far past the Sun. Some wondered if the sunlight was reflecting off the object, as a meteor would not require sunlight to be visible.

By cross-referencing the location, time, and point in the sky with a flight database, it was determined that the object was a contrail from an airplane. The image shows that the object was much smaller than the Sun and Moon, which is smaller than expected for a meteor. Tomorrow's featured image will present another mystery.