APOD: 2026 August 3 – Vaporizing Meteor Photobombs the Lacerta Nebula

A meteor streak recently photobombed a long-exposure photograph of the Great Lacerta Nebula, captured last month from Death Valley Observatories in Nevada. Per NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day, the bright streak came from a small pebble that vaporized as it entered Earth's atmosphere, heating and exciting the surrounding air. The colors of the glowing gas offer clues to the meteoroid's composition. The photo arrives as August brings peak meteor-watching season—three showers are currently active, though a bright Moon has been competing for visibility. The most prolific of these, the Perseids, should reach peak activity in about ten days, after the Moon has dimmed considerably, and will coincide in some locations with a total solar eclipse.

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