APOD: 2026 August 19 – The Case of the Mysterious Maybe Meteor
APOD Science APOD APOD: 2026 August 19 – The… Today’s APOD Archive Submissions Index Search Calendar RSS Education About Discuss APOD Astronomy Picture of the Day 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. To view […]
APOD Science APOD: 2026 August 19 – The Case of the Mysterious Maybe Meteor
Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day reveals an intriguing incident captured on August 12, 2026. At 20:28 local time, a video was taken in Spain, where the Perseids meteor shower was at its peak. An object seemed to mysteriously vanish while crossing the partially eclipsed Sun. The video, recorded at 24 frames per second, shows the object's path possibly tracing back to the Perseids' radiant point in the Perseus constellation.
The object's trajectory deviated from the expected 0.5-degree Sun and Moon angle, which is smaller than what would be anticipated for a meteor. Despite not extending much past the Sun, its brightness was notable, suggesting a possible reflection of sunlight. However, after cross-referencing the location, time, and point in the sky with a flight database, the explanation becomes clear. The object was identified as an airplane contrail.
Tomorrow, another mystery awaits on the APOD. Credit and copyright are attributed to Juan Pablo Castañeda.
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- APOD: 2026 August 19 – The Case of the Mysterious Maybe Meteor science.nasa.gov
