Meteor Dust over Eastern China
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What is happening to this meteor? It is shedding its outer layers as it passes through the Earth's atmosphere and heats up. The sudden high temperatures not only cause the bright glow along the dramatic streak but also melt and vaporize the meteor's component rock and ice, creating dust. Wind in the atmosphere typically blows this dust away over the next few seconds, leaving no visible trace after only a few minutes. Much of this dust will eventually settle down to the Earth. This image was captured in mid-December 2025, coincident with the Geminids meteor shower. On the upper left is Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky, while in the foreground is fog-engulfed Huangshan, the Yellow Mountains of eastern China.
Meteors come from leftover comet particles and bits from asteroids. When these objects come around the Sun, they leave a dusty trail behind them. Every year Earth passes through these debris trails. This allows the bits to collide with our atmosphere where they disintegrate to create fiery and colorful streaks in the sky. Unlike most meteor showers which originate from comets, the Geminids originate from an Apollo asteroid named 3200 Phaethon.
Learn about the Geminid Meteor shower:
https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/meteors-meteorites/geminids/
Image Description: A view of mountains over clouds shows a starfield with a purple glow. Prominent on the right is the trail of a bright meteor. To the left of the meteor and connecting to the meteor is something unusual—a light brown triangular puff.
Release Date: Jan. 12, 2026
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