Astronomy Picture of the Day ·

Iridium 52: Not A Meteor

The Astronomy Picture of the Day for October 22, 1999 is “Iridium 52: Not A Meteor,” an image. It is credited to Credit: J. W. Young ( TMO, JPL, NASA) Used With Permission. The original explanation runs about 126 words.

Iridium 52: Not A Meteor
Credit: J. W. Young ( TMO, JPL, NASA) Used With Permission Shown from science.nasa.gov. Not hosted by OpenOrbit.

From the explanation

“While hunting for meteors in the night sky above the White Mountains near Bishop, California, astrophotographer James Young instead captured this brilliant celestial apparition . Recorded near twilight on August 13, the bright streak is not the flash of a meteor trail but sunlight glinting from a satellite .”

— APOD editors, October 22, 1999

Read the full explanation on science.nasa.gov

At a glance

Date
October 22, 1999
Type
Image
Credit
Credit: J. W. Young ( TMO, JPL, NASA) Used With Permission
Copyright
No copyright notice on the entry. Check the credited institution’s own usage rules before reusing it.
Explanation length
About 126 words

All of October 1999 → · 1999 by month → · Full archive since 1995 →

Topics in this entry

Meteors

Topics are matched from words in the title and explanation.

On this day: October 22 in other years

On Amazon

Popular picks for space fans

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Electronics Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition 32GB Read astronomy and space-history books anywhere. View on Amazon → Electronics Bose QuietComfort Wireless Headphones Noise-cancelling headphones for documentaries and launch livestreams. View on Amazon →

Source

Copy taken Oct 28, 2026, 2:39 AM EDT. The image and explanation belong to their creators. OpenOrbit is not affiliated with or endorsed by NASA.