Space photo of the day for May 30, 2025
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.
A bright meteor, also called a fireball, is seen falling into Earth's atmosphere. From the perspective of the camera, it appears in the sky above the dome of Kitt Peak National Observatory.
Kitt Peak National Observatory is in the Sonoran Desert, in Tucson, Arizona. The area was chosen for its access to dark skies and its altitude — over a mile (2.1 kilometers) above sea level — placing the telescope above most of our planet's thick atmosphere.
According to NOIRLab (National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory), which, like, Kitt Peak is a project of the National Science Foundation, a meteor streak has to be brighter than how the planets appear in the sky (an apparent magnitude of –4 or brighter) to be considered a "fireball."
You can read more about meteors and learn when meteor showers are expected this year. You can also read more about Kitt Peak National Observatory.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Gizmodo
2 hours ago
- Gizmodo
Upcoming Telescope Predicted to Discover Millions of Hidden Solar System Objects
With 3.2 billion pixels and a decade-long search, the Rubin Observatory will reveal what's been hiding in plain sight. A new observatory perched high in the Chilean Andes is about to blow the lid off our solar system—and scientists say it's going to be like switching from a black-and-white TV to 4K color. The National Science Foundation and Department of Energy project, the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, is slated to begin operations later this year. Armed with the largest digital camera ever built for astronomy and a sweeping, ultra-sensitive telescope, the observatory is expected to discover millions of previously unknown asteroids, comets, and other planetary leftovers—some of which venture uncomfortably close to our own planet. Now, researchers led by Meg Schwamb at Queen's University Belfast have developed an open-source software program, Sorcha, that predicts the discoveries that Rubin may make. The papers describing the software and the associated predictions are available on the preprint server arXiv. The team estimates that Rubin will triple the number of known near-Earth objects (NEOs) from about 38,000 to 127,000, detect ten times more trans-Neptunian objects than currently cataloged, and provide colorful, detailed observations of over 5 million main-belt asteroids (up from about 1.4 million). 'With this data, we'll be able to update the textbooks of solar system formation and vastly improve our ability to spot—and potentially deflect—the asteroids that could threaten Earth,' said Mario Juric, a member of the team and an astronomer at the University of Washington, in a university release. Sorcha models the solar system's current structure, then projects what Rubin is likely to see, based on its planned observations. It's the first end-to-end simulator for Rubin, meaning that it models expectations from simulated photons of light from distant sources to the expected science to come from those findings. The Rubin Observatory's secret weapon is its 3.2-gigapixel LSST camera, which can scan an area roughly 45 times the area of the full Moon each night. In less than a week, the camera can survey the entire night sky, and over the next decade, it'll produce a cosmic time-lapse comprising 20 terabytes of nightly data. Rubin's data will help scientists piece together how our solar system formed and evolved. The predicted stats are staggering: 127,000 NEOs, 109,000 Jupiter Trojans, 37,000 distant Kuiper Belt objects, and more. Rubin will find them all in color and motion, revealing spin rates, surface types, and more. In turn, these observations will help space agencies and scientists land on their next observational targets. The Sorcha code, along with simulated sky maps and orbital animations, is available now at so researchers can prepare for the LSST data to come. The first public images from Rubin's 'First Look' event will be revealed on June 23.
Associated Press
9 hours ago
- Associated Press
Braves enter matchup against the Diamondbacks on losing streak
Arizona Diamondbacks (30-31, fourth in the NL West) vs. Atlanta Braves (27-33, fourth in the NL East) Atlanta; Thursday, 12:15 p.m. EDT PITCHING PROBABLES: Diamondbacks: Brandon Pfaadt (7-4, 5.05 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 49 strikeouts); Braves: Grant Holmes (3-4, 3.78 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 64 strikeouts) BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Braves -143, Diamondbacks +120; over/under is 9 runs BOTTOM LINE: The Atlanta Braves play the Arizona Diamondbacks after losing three straight games. Atlanta has a 17-13 record at home and a 27-33 record overall. Braves hitters are batting a collective .243, which ranks eighth in the NL. Arizona has a 30-31 record overall and a 15-14 record on the road. The Diamondbacks are 16-8 in games when they did not allow a home run. The matchup Thursday is the sixth time these teams match up this season. The Diamondbacks have a 3-2 advantage in the season series. TOP PERFORMERS: Matt Olson leads the Braves with 12 home runs while slugging .451. Ronald Acuna is 12 for 37 with two doubles, two home runs and five RBIs over the last 10 games. Corbin Carroll has 18 home runs, 23 walks and 39 RBIs while hitting .259 for the Diamondbacks. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. is 15 for 38 with two doubles and five RBIs over the last 10 games. LAST 10 GAMES: Braves: 3-7, .231 batting average, 3.17 ERA, even run differential Diamondbacks: 4-6, .255 batting average, 4.91 ERA, outscored by seven runs INJURIES: Braves: Daysbel Hernandez: day-to-day (arm), AJ Smith-Shawver: 60-Day IL (calf/elbow), Stuart Fairchild: 10-Day IL (finger), Ignacio Alvarez: 60-Day IL (wrist), Reynaldo Lopez: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Joe Jimenez: 60-Day IL (knee) Diamondbacks: Corbin Burnes: 15-Day IL (elbow), Eduardo Rodriguez: 15-Day IL (shoulder), A.J. Puk: 60-Day IL (elbow), Jordan Montgomery: 60-Day IL (elbow), Blake Walston: 60-Day IL (elbow) ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
USA Today
a day ago
- USA Today
Spencer Strider had a brutally honest take on his struggles after surgery
Spencer Strider had a brutally honest take on his struggles after surgery When Spencer Strider broke into the big leagues back in 2021 (and his subsequent rookie season in 2022), he quickly built a reputation as one of baseball's best pitchers by virtue of an electric four-seam fastball. But Strider's career arc faced a serious obstacle when he suffered an elbow injury last season, forcing him to undergo internal-brace surgery — not to be confused with Tommy John, which he already had in college. Strider is back this season, and thus far, he has looked like a shell of the Cy Young Award candidate we watched in 2023. Now, it was always going to be a work in progress, coming off elbow surgery. And that's been obvious in the significant drop in Strider's velocity. His rookie season, Strider's fastball averaged 98.2 mph. He harnessed that velocity a bit in 2023 with a 97.2 mph average, but was still able to hit triple digits when needed. This season, Strider's fastball is at 95.2 mph — in the 68th percentile among big-league pitchers. And on Tuesday, we saw that fastball dip to as low as 93 mph. Sure, there are plenty of pitchers who are effective with 93-95 mph velo, but they aren't doing this: And Strider is well aware that his approach needs to change as he can't beat hitters with his fastball velocity (at least for now). He offered reporters this brutally honest take after the Braves' 8-3 loss to Arizona where Strider allowed three home runs. Via 'Command without stuff is batting practice. That's about what I offered up today. I've got to be better, just to give us a chance.' That's exactly what Strider has been doing post-surgery. He's allowing a league-worst average exit velocity of 94 mph. His whiff rate has cratered. And on top of the velocity drop, he hasn't been consistently commanding his secondary pitches. Just look at what Ketel Marte did to an 0-2 changeup Strider left over the plate. Strider could get away with middle-middle fastballs and mistake pitches when he was throwing 100 mph. He simply can't do that right now. Could the velocity slowly come back as he continues this season or with a full offseason? Sure, it's possible. But Strider very well may be looking at a situation where he needs to reinvent himself or risk falling out as a reliable starting pitcher, much less an ace. He can't continue to approach batters like his 2023 self when the stuff isn't there. It's batting practice, like he said.
