Explanation:
Intensely bright,
this fireball meteor
flashed through
Tuesday's cold, clear, early morning skies over the Karkas Mountains
in central Iran, near the peak of the annual
Geminid Meteor Shower.
To capture the
meteor moment and wintery
night
skyscape, the photographer's camera was fixed to a tripod, its shutter
open for about 1.5 minutes.
During that time, the multitude of stars slowly traced short,
arcing trails through the sky,
a reflection of planet Earth's
daily rotation on its axis.
The meteor's brilliant dash through the scene was brief, though.
Changing color as it went, it also left a reddish swirl of
hot, glowing gas near the center of its path.
The mountains appear in silhouette against the steady glow of
distant city lights.
