NASA Science
👀 Look closer
Can you spot the bright red planet near the top of this meteor photo?
The bright red planet near the top is Mars. The photo shows the 2022 Leonid meteor shower, seen from Hainan in China, looking out over the South China Sea. It joins streaks caught over a few hours to a foreground picture taken earlier. The streaks trace back to the constellation Leo and cross Orion.
Even during a meteor shower, nobody can tell where the next meteor will appear. A good plan is to sit comfortably and watch a big stretch of dark sky, maybe with a friend. The Leonids peak in mid-November every year, so they peak again this week. The two meteor fans in the picture share a birthday this month and later got married.