Night of the Long Leonid . ... Credit Copyright: St phane Vetter ( Nuits sacrees ) Explanation: A cosmic grain of sand left the long and colorful trail across this all-sky view . Its grazing impact with planet Earth's atmosphere began at 71 kilometers per second . ... The image is part of a dramatic time-lapse video (vimeo here) that began only 7 minutes before the long leonid crossed the sky. ... NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers . NASA Official: Jay Norris. ...