[{"date":"2026-10-13","post_id":1481224,"title":"Desert Stairway to Heaven","permalink":"https://science.nasa.gov/image-article/apod-2026-october-13-desert-stairway-to-heaven/","media_type":"image","explanation":"Explanation: This stairway in Chile brings you only a little bit closer to heaven. But ooh, the sky above it makes you wonder. For example, you may wonder about the dark lane of our own Milky Way galaxy rising behind the expansive Atacama Desert in Chile, the band of zodiacal light on the upper left, the green and red airglow just above the horizon, the star Spica in the zodiacal light stripe, and, at the very top on the right, the Small Magellanic Cloud galaxy. The Desert Staircase sculpture is in the foreground, and this image was timed to catch the picturesque peering perch just in front of the near-vertical Milky Way band. Upon close inspection of the horizon you can find, left to right, some Andes Mountains, the Licancabur volcano, and the town lights of San Pedro de Atacama. The featured wide-angle composite was captured in July 2025.
Tomorrow's picture: open space","credit":"Julien Looten","copyright":"Julien Looten","alt":"The Milky Way galaxy rises from the horizon and curves upward in the sky. In the foreground, a rock pathway is seen that culminates in a staircase that ends abruptly. The Milky Way band appears to be a continuation of the staircase. Please see the explanation for more detailed information.","url":"https://science.nasa.gov/image-article/apod-2026-october-13-desert-stairway-to-heaven/","hdurl":"https://assets.science.nasa.gov/dynamicimage/assets/science/cds/apod/apod/2026/october/Stairway2Heaven_Looten_6750.jpg?w=6750&h=9000&fit=clip&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint","basic_html":"\n\n\n\n\n APOD: 2026 October 13 - Desert Stairway to Heaven\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
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Astronomy Picture of the Day
\n
\n\nDiscover the cosmos!\nEach day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is\nfeatured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.\n
\n\n Explanation: \n\nExplanation: This stairway in Chile brings you only a little bit closer to heaven. But ooh, the sky above it makes you wonder. For example, you may wonder about the dark lane of our own Milky Way galaxy rising behind the expansive Atacama Desert in Chile, the band of zodiacal light on the upper left, the green and red airglow just above the horizon, the star Spica in the zodiacal light stripe, and, at the very top on the right, the Small Magellanic Cloud galaxy. The Desert Staircase sculpture is in the foreground, and this image was timed to catch the picturesque peering perch just in front of the near-vertical Milky Way band. Upon close inspection of the horizon you can find, left to right, some Andes Mountains, the Licancabur volcano, and the town lights of San Pedro de Atacama. The featured wide-angle composite was captured in July 2025.
\n\n","basic_html_url":"https://science.nasa.gov/wp-json/wp/v2/apod-basic/261013/html"},{"date":"2026-10-12","post_id":1481216,"title":"Jupiter and the Moons","permalink":"https://science.nasa.gov/image-article/apod-2026-october-12-jupiter-and-the-moons/","media_type":"image","explanation":"Explanation: How many moons can you see? The best answer is five: four orbiting Jupiter and Luna orbiting Earth. This multi-moon picture was possible because Earth's Moon moved directly in front of Jupiter last week. The featured image is a series of exposures near alignment taken from Westchester, New York, USA. The sunlit crescent of Earth's Moon, on the lower left, is overexposed, while the Moon's night side, on the upper right, is faintly illuminated by Earthshine. Lined up nearly vertically above our Moon, listed from bottom to top, are Jupiter's bright Galilean satellites: Ganymede, Io, Callisto, and Europa. Callisto, Ganymede, and Io are larger than Earth's Moon, while Europa is only slightly smaller. NASA's robotic spacecraft Juno is currently orbiting Jupiter and has made close passes near three of these moons.
Tomorrow's picture: stairway to heaven","credit":"Chirag Upreti","copyright":"Chirag Upreti","alt":"In front of a dark background an image of Earth's Moon appears with a lower crescent brightly lit. The rest of the Moon is also faintly visible. Above the Moon is a bright point of light surrounded by four fainter points of light in row. Please see the explanation for more detailed information.","url":"https://science.nasa.gov/image-article/apod-2026-october-12-jupiter-and-the-moons/","hdurl":"https://assets.science.nasa.gov/dynamicimage/assets/science/cds/apod/apod/2026/october/JupiterMoons_Upreti_3105.jpg?w=0&h=0&fit=clip&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint","basic_html":"\n\n\n\n\n APOD: 2026 October 12 - Jupiter and the Moons\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
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Astronomy Picture of the Day
\n
\n\nDiscover the cosmos!\nEach day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is\nfeatured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.\n
\n\n Explanation: \n\nExplanation: How many moons can you see? The best answer is five: four orbiting Jupiter and Luna orbiting Earth. This multi-moon picture was possible because Earth's Moon moved directly in front of Jupiter last week. The featured image is a series of exposures near alignment taken from Westchester, New York, USA. The sunlit crescent of Earth's Moon, on the lower left, is overexposed, while the Moon's night side, on the upper right, is faintly illuminated by Earthshine. Lined up nearly vertically above our Moon, listed from bottom to top, are Jupiter's bright Galilean satellites: Ganymede, Io, Callisto, and Europa. Callisto, Ganymede, and Io are larger than Earth's Moon, while Europa is only slightly smaller. NASA's robotic spacecraft Juno is currently orbiting Jupiter and has made close passes near three of these moons.
\n\n","basic_html_url":"https://science.nasa.gov/wp-json/wp/v2/apod-basic/261012/html"},{"date":"2026-10-11","post_id":1479819,"title":"Ice Fishing for Cosmic Neutrinos","permalink":"https://science.nasa.gov/image-article/apod-2026-october-11-ice-fishing-for-cosmic-neutrinos/","media_type":"image","explanation":"Explanation: Scientists are melting holes in the bottom of the world. In fact, almost 100 holes melted near the South Pole are now being used as an astronomical observatory. Astronomers with the IceCube Neutrino Observatory lowered a long string knotted with basketball-sized light detectors into each vertical lake. The water in each hole soon refreezes. The detectors attached to the strings are sensitive to blue light emitted in the surrounding clear ice. Such light results from fast-moving secondary particles liberated when high-energy neutrinos emitted by powerful processes out in the universe collide with ice molecules. IceCube has now detected many illuminating neutrinos. Pictured in 2010, one of the last of IceCube's detector strings is lowered into the freezing abyss, making IceCube the largest neutrino detector ever created. In recognition of unprecedented discoveries, it was announced earlier this week that a founding leader of the IceCube Collaboration will be awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics.
Tomorrow's picture: Moons Planet","credit":"NSF, B. Gudbjartsson, IceCube Collaboration","copyright":"NSF, B. Gudbjartsson, IceCube Collaboration","alt":"A dark cable descends into a deep carved hole of ice. The hole is so deep that it disappears into darkness. Please see the explanation for more detailed information.","url":"https://science.nasa.gov/image-article/apod-2026-october-11-ice-fishing-for-cosmic-neutrinos/","hdurl":"https://assets.science.nasa.gov/dynamicimage/assets/science/cds/apod/apod/2026/october/deephole_icecube_4000.jpg?w=0&h=0&fit=clip&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint","basic_html":"\n\n\n\n\n APOD: 2026 October 11 - Ice Fishing for Cosmic Neutrinos\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
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Astronomy Picture of the Day
\n
\n\nDiscover the cosmos!\nEach day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is\nfeatured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.\n
\n\n Explanation: \n\nExplanation: Scientists are melting holes in the bottom of the world. In fact, almost 100 holes melted near the South Pole are now being used as an astronomical observatory. Astronomers with the IceCube Neutrino Observatory lowered a long string knotted with basketball-sized light detectors into each vertical lake. The water in each hole soon refreezes. The detectors attached to the strings are sensitive to blue light emitted in the surrounding clear ice. Such light results from fast-moving secondary particles liberated when high-energy neutrinos emitted by powerful processes out in the universe collide with ice molecules. IceCube has now detected many illuminating neutrinos. Pictured in 2010, one of the last of IceCube's detector strings is lowered into the freezing abyss, making IceCube the largest neutrino detector ever created. In recognition of unprecedented discoveries, it was announced earlier this week that a founding leader of the IceCube Collaboration will be awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics.
\n\n","basic_html_url":"https://science.nasa.gov/wp-json/wp/v2/apod-basic/261011/html"},{"date":"2026-10-10","post_id":1430702,"title":"Lunar Farside","permalink":"https://science.nasa.gov/image-article/apod-2026-october-10-lunar-farside/","media_type":"image","explanation":"Explanation: Tidally locked in synchronous rotation, the Moon always presents its familiar nearside to denizens of planet Earth. From lunar orbit, the Moon's farside can become familiar, though. In fact this sharp picture, a mosaic from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter's wide angle camera, is centered on the lunar farside. Part of a global mosaic of over 15,000 images acquired between November 2009 and February 2011, the highest resolution version shows features at a scale of 100 meters per pixel. Surprisingly, the rough and battered surface of the farside looks very different from the nearside covered with smooth dark lunar maria. A likely explanation is that the farside crust is thicker, making it harder for molten material from the interior to flow to the surface and form dark, smooth maria.
Tomorrow's picture: Sunday's Childe","credit":"NASA / GSFC / Arizona State Univ. / Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter","copyright":"NASA / GSFC / Arizona State Univ. / Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter","alt":"A mosaic image of the farside of the Moon.","url":"https://science.nasa.gov/image-article/apod-2026-october-10-lunar-farside/","hdurl":"https://assets.science.nasa.gov/dynamicimage/assets/science/cds/apod/apod/2026/october/farside_lro1600.jpg?w=1600&h=1600&fit=clip&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint","basic_html":"\n\n\n\n\n APOD: 2026 October 10 - Lunar Farside\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
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Astronomy Picture of the Day
\n
\n\nDiscover the cosmos!\nEach day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is\nfeatured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.\n
\n\n Explanation: \n\nExplanation: Tidally locked in synchronous rotation, the Moon always presents its familiar nearside to denizens of planet Earth. From lunar orbit, the Moon's farside can become familiar, though. In fact this sharp picture, a mosaic from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter's wide angle camera, is centered on the lunar farside. Part of a global mosaic of over 15,000 images acquired between November 2009 and February 2011, the highest resolution version shows features at a scale of 100 meters per pixel. Surprisingly, the rough and battered surface of the farside looks very different from the nearside covered with smooth dark lunar maria. A likely explanation is that the farside crust is thicker, making it harder for molten material from the interior to flow to the surface and form dark, smooth maria.
\n\n","basic_html_url":"https://science.nasa.gov/wp-json/wp/v2/apod-basic/261010/html"},{"date":"2026-10-09","post_id":1424821,"title":"Stickney Crater","permalink":"https://science.nasa.gov/image-article/apod-2026-october-9-stickney-crater/","media_type":"image","explanation":"Explanation: Stickney Crater, the largest crater on the martian moon Phobos, is named for Chloe Angeline Stickney Hall, mathematician and wife of astronomer Asaph Hall. Asaph Hall discovered both the Red Planet's moons in 1877. Over 9 kilometers across, Stickney is nearly half the diameter of Phobos itself, so large that the impact that blasted out the crater likely came close to shattering the tiny moon. This enhanced-color image of Stickney and surroundings was recorded by the HiRISE camera onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter as it passed within some six thousand kilometers of Phobos in March of 2008. Even though the surface gravity of asteroid-like Phobos is less than 1/1000th Earth's gravity, streaks suggest loose material slid down inside the crater walls over time. Light bluish regions near the crater's rim could indicate a relatively freshly exposed surface. The origin of the curious grooves along the surface is mysterious but may be related to tidal stresses experienced by close-orbiting Phobos or the crater-forming impact itself.
Tomorrow's picture: farside","credit":"HiRISE, MRO, LPL (U. Arizona), NASA","copyright":"HiRISE, MRO, LPL (U. Arizona), NASA","alt":"A color enhanced close-up image of Stickney Crater on Phobos.","url":"https://science.nasa.gov/image-article/apod-2026-october-9-stickney-crater/","hdurl":"https://assets.science.nasa.gov/dynamicimage/assets/science/cds/apod/apod/2026/october/PSP_007769_9010_IRB_Stickney.jpg?w=1836&h=1362&fit=clip&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint","basic_html":"\n\n\n\n\n APOD: 2026 October 9 - Stickney Crater\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
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Astronomy Picture of the Day
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\n\nDiscover the cosmos!\nEach day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is\nfeatured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.\n
\n\n Explanation: \n\nExplanation: Stickney Crater, the largest crater on the martian moon Phobos, is named for Chloe Angeline Stickney Hall, mathematician and wife of astronomer Asaph Hall. Asaph Hall discovered both the Red Planet's moons in 1877. Over 9 kilometers across, Stickney is nearly half the diameter of Phobos itself, so large that the impact that blasted out the crater likely came close to shattering the tiny moon. This enhanced-color image of Stickney and surroundings was recorded by the HiRISE camera onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter as it passed within some six thousand kilometers of Phobos in March of 2008. Even though the surface gravity of asteroid-like Phobos is less than 1/1000th Earth's gravity, streaks suggest loose material slid down inside the crater walls over time. Light bluish regions near the crater's rim could indicate a relatively freshly exposed surface. The origin of the curious grooves along the surface is mysterious but may be related to tidal stresses experienced by close-orbiting Phobos or the crater-forming impact itself.
\n\n","basic_html_url":"https://science.nasa.gov/wp-json/wp/v2/apod-basic/261009/html"},{"date":"2026-10-08","post_id":1465566,"title":"The Saturn System Sm\u00f6rg\u00e5sbord","permalink":"https://science.nasa.gov/image-article/apod-2026-october-8-the-saturn-system-smorgasbord/","media_type":"image","explanation":"Explanation: How was the Saturn system imaged so clearly? Astrophotographer Tom Williams captured such exquisite details due to one night of exceptional atmospheric conditions above the United Kingdom. This means more than a cloudless sky. Pockets of air at different temperatures and densities move around and bend light as it travels through Earth\u2019s atmosphere, distorting astronomy images. This is called \u201cseeing.\u201d Less atmospheric turbulence means clearer images. The astrophotographer reduced the impact of seeing with the lucky imaging technique: thousands of short-exposure images are taken very quickly with a high-speed camera and the clearest images are added up. Which object in this sm\u00f6rg\u00e5sbord interests you? Perhaps Titan or the icy stripes of Enceladus? Maybe the gaps and spokes in Saturn\u2019s rings? Saturn's opposition, when Earth passes in between the planet and the Sun, occurred on October 4th. Due to the planet's proximity and full illumination from the Sun, now is a great time of year to observe it!
Tomorrow's picture: bumpy","credit":"Tom Williams","copyright":"Tom Williams","alt":"Saturn sits near the center of the image. The layers of different colored atmosphere are clear. Its large rings are tilted with respect to the image's horizontal axis. The gaps and spokes within the rings are clear. A few of Saturn's moons show up as faint dots surrounding the planet.","url":"https://science.nasa.gov/image-article/apod-2026-october-8-the-saturn-system-smorgasbord/","hdurl":"https://assets.science.nasa.gov/dynamicimage/assets/science/cds/apod/apod/2026/october/2026-09-21-2349_3-TW-RGB-Sat2_1.5x_Labelled.png?w=2296&h=1500&fit=clip&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint","basic_html":"\n\n\n\n\n APOD: 2026 October 8 - The Saturn System Sm\u00f6rg\u00e5sbord\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
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Astronomy Picture of the Day
\n
\n\nDiscover the cosmos!\nEach day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is\nfeatured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.\n
\n The Saturn System Sm\u00f6rg\u00e5sbord \n\nImage Credit &\nCopyright:\n\nTom Williams\n
\n\n
\n\n Explanation: \n\nExplanation: How was the Saturn system imaged so clearly? Astrophotographer Tom Williams captured such exquisite details due to one night of exceptional atmospheric conditions above the United Kingdom. This means more than a cloudless sky. Pockets of air at different temperatures and densities move around and bend light as it travels through Earth\u2019s atmosphere, distorting astronomy images. This is called \u201cseeing.\u201d Less atmospheric turbulence means clearer images. The astrophotographer reduced the impact of seeing with the lucky imaging technique: thousands of short-exposure images are taken very quickly with a high-speed camera and the clearest images are added up. Which object in this sm\u00f6rg\u00e5sbord interests you? Perhaps Titan or the icy stripes of Enceladus? Maybe the gaps and spokes in Saturn\u2019s rings? Saturn's opposition, when Earth passes in between the planet and the Sun, occurred on October 4th. Due to the planet's proximity and full illumination from the Sun, now is a great time of year to observe it!
\n\n","basic_html_url":"https://science.nasa.gov/wp-json/wp/v2/apod-basic/261008/html"},{"date":"2026-10-07","post_id":1466612,"title":"Supernova Remnant Pa 30","permalink":"https://science.nasa.gov/image-article/apod-2026-october-7-supernova-remnant-pa-30/","media_type":"image","explanation":"Explanation: \"Happy New Year!\" No, wait, this is not a fireworks display. This image shows Nebula Pa 30, observed with the Gemini North Telescope in Hawai'i. It is likely the remnant of an old supernova explosion: separate historical records by Chinese, Japanese and Arabic astronomers tell of a \"guest star\" that appeared in the sky for 185 days in the year 1181. It is believed that this bright new point of light came from the supernova that caused the fireworks in Pa 30. Astronomers don't know exactly what happened in this unusual explosion, classified as a Type Iax supernova, but it is thought to be caused by the merger of two white dwarfs. The mysterious central star in the image is extremely hot and produces a strong wind, possibly forming the radial filaments. Look closely at them: those pearl-like knots stringing the filaments are 4 light-days in diameter. Understanding how a supernova created this amazing nebula continues an 845-year old mystery (and counting).
\n\nDiscover the cosmos!\nEach day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is\nfeatured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.\n
\n\n Explanation: \n\nExplanation: \"Happy New Year!\" No, wait, this is not a fireworks display. This image shows Nebula Pa 30, observed with the Gemini North Telescope in Hawai'i. It is likely the remnant of an old supernova explosion: separate historical records by Chinese, Japanese and Arabic astronomers tell of a \"guest star\" that appeared in the sky for 185 days in the year 1181. It is believed that this bright new point of light came from the supernova that caused the fireworks in Pa 30. Astronomers don't know exactly what happened in this unusual explosion, classified as a Type Iax supernova, but it is thought to be caused by the merger of two white dwarfs. The mysterious central star in the image is extremely hot and produces a strong wind, possibly forming the radial filaments. Look closely at them: those pearl-like knots stringing the filaments are 4 light-days in diameter. Understanding how a supernova created this amazing nebula continues an 845-year old mystery (and counting).
\n\n","basic_html_url":"https://science.nasa.gov/wp-json/wp/v2/apod-basic/261007/html"},{"date":"2026-10-06","post_id":1456747,"title":"A Complete Auroral Oval from SMILE","permalink":"https://science.nasa.gov/image-article/apod-2026-october-6-a-complete-auroral-oval-from-smile/","media_type":"image","explanation":"Explanation: Have you ever seen a complete auroral oval? You can't see one from the ground because it makes too large a circle around one of Earth's magnetic poles. But spacecraft high above the Earth can see them. The featured video from ESA and CAS's robotic SMILE spacecraft shows not only a full auroral oval, but using ultraviolet light, one that occurred during the day. The time-lapse covers about an hour in late July and shows visually how variable and turbulent auroras really are. The points of light on the sides are distant stars that appear to move only because SMILE's camera view shifts as the spacecraft orbits the Earth. A goal of SMILE is to better understand how the Sun's wind interacts with the Earth's magnetosphere -- and so better understand how to protect astronauts, spacecraft, and ground-based electrical grids from solar storms.
Tomorrow's picture: a supernova's pearls","credit":"ESA, CAS, SMILE, UVI","copyright":"ESA, CAS, SMILE, UVI","alt":"See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest resolution version available.","url":"https://science.nasa.gov/image-article/apod-2026-october-6-a-complete-auroral-oval-from-smile/","hdurl":"https://assets.science.nasa.gov/dynamicimage/assets/science/cds/apod/apod/2026/october/Smile_s_first_ultraviolet_footage_shows_auroral_substorm-1.jpeg?w=512&h=512&fit=clip&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint","basic_html":"\n\n\n\n\n APOD: 2026 October 6 - A Complete Auroral Oval from SMILE\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
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Astronomy Picture of the Day
\n
\n\nDiscover the cosmos!\nEach day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is\nfeatured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.\n
\n\n","basic_html_url":"https://science.nasa.gov/wp-json/wp/v2/apod-basic/261006/html"},{"date":"2026-10-05","post_id":1455641,"title":"M104: The Sombrero Galaxy's Tidal Streams","permalink":"https://science.nasa.gov/image-article/apod-2026-october-5-m104-the-sombrero-galaxys-tidal-streams/","media_type":"image","explanation":"Explanation: A deep image of the Sombrero galaxy reveals surprises. M104 is named the Sombrero galaxy because, on shorter exposures, it looks like a hat. A key defining feature of this huge galaxy is a dark brim of dust that circles the disk galaxy's center. A much longer exposure, however, brings up a hairy past where a bright, hazy halo is revealed that extends well past the central disk and contains many unresolved stars. Surprisingly, in this stellar haze, structures can be seen that include a diagonal ring. These structures and tidal streams provide fresh evidence that M104 had a violent past and is surely the result of collisions and mergers of smaller galaxies. Light takes about 30 million years to reach us from the Sombrero galaxy, which fully spans about 150 thousand light years across. The featured image was taken over seven days in mid-2026 from Namibia.
Your Sky Surprise: What picture did APOD feature on your birthday? (post 1995) Tomorrow's picture: a smile","credit":"Engelbert Vollmer","copyright":"Engelbert Vollmer","alt":"A starfield has an bright blobby mess in middle. Running vertically through the very middle is a dark streak. A diagonal ring of brightness surrounds the central blob.","url":"https://science.nasa.gov/image-article/apod-2026-october-5-m104-the-sombrero-galaxys-tidal-streams/","hdurl":"https://assets.science.nasa.gov/dynamicimage/assets/science/cds/apod/apod/2026/october/M104_Vollmer_4222.jpg?w=4222&h=2817&fit=clip&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint","basic_html":"\n\n\n\n\n APOD: 2026 October 5 - M104: The Sombrero Galaxy's Tidal Streams\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
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Astronomy Picture of the Day
\n
\n\nDiscover the cosmos!\nEach day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is\nfeatured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.\n
\n\n Explanation: \n\nExplanation: A deep image of the Sombrero galaxy reveals surprises. M104 is named the Sombrero galaxy because, on shorter exposures, it looks like a hat. A key defining feature of this huge galaxy is a dark brim of dust that circles the disk galaxy's center. A much longer exposure, however, brings up a hairy past where a bright, hazy halo is revealed that extends well past the central disk and contains many unresolved stars. Surprisingly, in this stellar haze, structures can be seen that include a diagonal ring. These structures and tidal streams provide fresh evidence that M104 had a violent past and is surely the result of collisions and mergers of smaller galaxies. Light takes about 30 million years to reach us from the Sombrero galaxy, which fully spans about 150 thousand light years across. The featured image was taken over seven days in mid-2026 from Namibia.
\n\n","basic_html_url":"https://science.nasa.gov/wp-json/wp/v2/apod-basic/261005/html"},{"date":"2026-10-04","post_id":1454357,"title":"Supernumerary Rainbows over New Jersey","permalink":"https://science.nasa.gov/image-article/apod-2026-october-4-supernumerary-rainbows-over-new-jersey/","media_type":"image","explanation":"Explanation: Yes, but can your rainbow do this? After the remnants of Hurricane Florence passed over the Jersey Shore, New Jersey, USA in 2018, the Sun came out in one direction but something quite unusual appeared in the opposite direction: a hall of rainbows. Over the course of the next half hour, to the delight of the photographer and his daughter, vibrant supernumerary rainbows faded in and out, with at least five captured in this featured single shot. Supernumerary rainbows only form when falling water droplets are all nearly the same size and typically less than a millimeter across. Then, sunlight will not only reflect from inside the raindrops, but interfere, a wave phenomenon similar to ripples on a pond when a stone is thrown in. In fact, supernumerary rainbows can only be explained with waves, and their noted existence in the early 1800s was considered early evidence of light's wave nature.
Your Sky Surprise: What picture did APOD feature on your birthday? (post 1995) Tomorrow's picture: open space","credit":"John Entwistle","copyright":"John Entwistle","alt":"The top of a house is shown beneath a dark and cloudy sky. Many rainbow stripes are seen above the house.","url":"https://science.nasa.gov/image-article/apod-2026-october-4-supernumerary-rainbows-over-new-jersey/","hdurl":"https://assets.science.nasa.gov/dynamicimage/assets/science/cds/apod/apod/2026/october/SupernumeraryRainbows_Entwistle_1362.jpg?w=1362&h=1920&fit=clip&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint","basic_html":"\n\n\n\n\n APOD: 2026 October 4 - Supernumerary Rainbows over New Jersey\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
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Astronomy Picture of the Day
\n
\n\nDiscover the cosmos!\nEach day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is\nfeatured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.\n
\n Supernumerary Rainbows over New Jersey \n\nImage Credit &\nCopyright:\n\nJohn Entwistle\n
\n\n
\n\n Explanation: \n\nExplanation: Yes, but can your rainbow do this? After the remnants of Hurricane Florence passed over the Jersey Shore, New Jersey, USA in 2018, the Sun came out in one direction but something quite unusual appeared in the opposite direction: a hall of rainbows. Over the course of the next half hour, to the delight of the photographer and his daughter, vibrant supernumerary rainbows faded in and out, with at least five captured in this featured single shot. Supernumerary rainbows only form when falling water droplets are all nearly the same size and typically less than a millimeter across. Then, sunlight will not only reflect from inside the raindrops, but interfere, a wave phenomenon similar to ripples on a pond when a stone is thrown in. In fact, supernumerary rainbows can only be explained with waves, and their noted existence in the early 1800s was considered early evidence of light's wave nature.
\n\n","basic_html_url":"https://science.nasa.gov/wp-json/wp/v2/apod-basic/261004/html"},{"date":"2026-10-03","post_id":1424699,"title":"Selfie at Vera Rubin Ridge","permalink":"https://science.nasa.gov/image-article/apod-2026-october-3-selfie-at-vera-rubin-ridge/","media_type":"image","explanation":"Explanation:On sol 1943 of its journey of exploration across the surface of Mars, the Curiosity Rover recorded this selfie at the south rim of Vera Rubin Ridge. Of course a sol is a Martian solar day, about 40 minutes longer than an Earth day. Curiosity's sol 1943 corresponds to Earth date January 23, 2018. Also composed as an interactive 360 degree VR, the mosaicked panorama combines 61 exposures taken by the small car-sized rover's Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI). Frames containing the imager's arm have been edited out while the extended background used was taken by the rover's Mastcam on sol 1903. At the top of the rover's mast, sitting above the Mastcam, the laser-firing ChemCam housing blocks out the distant, 5 kilometer high peak of Mount Sharp. On Earth date August 26, 2026, Curiosity marked an total elevation gain of 1 kilometer in its trek from the floor of Gale Crater up the slope of Mount Sharp.
APOD's email for image submissions has changed. Please see: APOD Submissions. Tomorrow's picture: Sunday's Childe","credit":"Image Credit:NASA, JPL-Caltech, MSSS - Panorama: Andrew Bodrov","copyright":"Image Credit:NASA, JPL-Caltech, MSSS - Panorama: Andrew Bodrov","alt":"Fisheye wide-angle image of the Curiosity rover on Mars.","url":"https://science.nasa.gov/image-article/apod-2026-october-3-selfie-at-vera-rubin-ridge/","hdurl":"https://assets.science.nasa.gov/dynamicimage/assets/science/cds/apod/apod/2026/october/Sol1943CuriosityBodrov.jpg?w=1600&h=800&fit=clip&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint","basic_html":"\n\n\n\n\n APOD: 2026 October 3 - Selfie at Vera Rubin Ridge\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
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Astronomy Picture of the Day
\n
\n\nDiscover the cosmos!\nEach day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is\nfeatured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.\n
\n\n Explanation: \n\nExplanation:On sol 1943 of its journey of exploration across the surface of Mars, the Curiosity Rover recorded this selfie at the south rim of Vera Rubin Ridge. Of course a sol is a Martian solar day, about 40 minutes longer than an Earth day. Curiosity's sol 1943 corresponds to Earth date January 23, 2018. Also composed as an interactive 360 degree VR, the mosaicked panorama combines 61 exposures taken by the small car-sized rover's Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI). Frames containing the imager's arm have been edited out while the extended background used was taken by the rover's Mastcam on sol 1903. At the top of the rover's mast, sitting above the Mastcam, the laser-firing ChemCam housing blocks out the distant, 5 kilometer high peak of Mount Sharp. On Earth date August 26, 2026, Curiosity marked an total elevation gain of 1 kilometer in its trek from the floor of Gale Crater up the slope of Mount Sharp.
APOD's email for image submissions has changed. Please see: APOD Submissions. Tomorrow's picture: Sunday's Childe\n
\n\n","basic_html_url":"https://science.nasa.gov/wp-json/wp/v2/apod-basic/261003/html"},{"date":"2026-10-02","post_id":1422853,"title":"The Complete Sharpless Catalog: 313 Nebulas","permalink":"https://science.nasa.gov/image-article/apod-2026-october-2-the-complete-sharpless-catalog-313-nebulae/","media_type":"image","explanation":"Explanation: What does it take to image hundreds of nebulas? Today\u2019s image contains the entire Sharpless Catalog of H II Regions, totaling 313 objects. Zoom in and explore! You may spot fan favorites like the Eagle (Sh2-49), Heart (Sh2-190), and Orion (Sh2-281) Nebulas. Despite its name, this catalog contains more than the glow of ionized hydrogen that makes up H II regions. There are planetary nebulas (the Medusa Nebula, Sh2-274) and supernova remnants (the Spaghetti Nebula, Sh2-240) as well. Astrophotographer Bing Xin traversed the dark skies of Eastern China and Inner Mongolia to catch them all. Narrowband filters that primarily capture light from ionized hydrogen and oxygen as well as red-green-blue filters were used. Each object took 2 to 6 hours to capture, with the entire catalog taking around 800 hours to complete! Which object is your favorite?
APOD's email for image submissions has changed. Please see: APOD Submissions Tomorrow's picture: just Curiosity","credit":"Bing Xin","copyright":"Bing Xin","alt":"313 separate images of nebulae that resemble a variety of shapes and brightnesses. Some are dim and whispy, others are bright and create structure. Each image traces the complex behavior of interstellar gas.","url":"https://science.nasa.gov/image-article/apod-2026-october-2-the-complete-sharpless-catalog-313-nebulae/","hdurl":"https://assets.science.nasa.gov/dynamicimage/assets/science/cds/apod/apod/2026/october/sharpless_catalog.png?w=4455&h=5592&fit=clip&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint","basic_html":"\n\n\n\n\n APOD: 2026 October 2 - The Complete Sharpless Catalog: 313 Nebulas\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
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Astronomy Picture of the Day
\n
\n\nDiscover the cosmos!\nEach day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is\nfeatured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.\n
\n\n Explanation: \n\nExplanation: What does it take to image hundreds of nebulas? Today\u2019s image contains the entire Sharpless Catalog of H II Regions, totaling 313 objects. Zoom in and explore! You may spot fan favorites like the Eagle (Sh2-49), Heart (Sh2-190), and Orion (Sh2-281) Nebulas. Despite its name, this catalog contains more than the glow of ionized hydrogen that makes up H II regions. There are planetary nebulas (the Medusa Nebula, Sh2-274) and supernova remnants (the Spaghetti Nebula, Sh2-240) as well. Astrophotographer Bing Xin traversed the dark skies of Eastern China and Inner Mongolia to catch them all. Narrowband filters that primarily capture light from ionized hydrogen and oxygen as well as red-green-blue filters were used. Each object took 2 to 6 hours to capture, with the entire catalog taking around 800 hours to complete! Which object is your favorite?
APOD's email for image submissions has changed. Please see: APOD Submissions Tomorrow's picture: just Curiosity\n
\n\n","basic_html_url":"https://science.nasa.gov/wp-json/wp/v2/apod-basic/261002/html"},{"date":"2026-10-01","post_id":1430516,"title":"Harvest Moon with Erupting Mount Etna","permalink":"https://science.nasa.gov/image-article/apod-2026-october-1-harvest-moon-with-belt-of-venus-and-erupting-mount-etna/","media_type":"image","explanation":"Explanation: Have you ever seen the full moon rise? This colorful image was photographed last weekend in Sicily, just outside the town of Nicosia, in Italy. It is a composite photograph that shows the Moon rising as the sky turns darker. Lower clouds are reflecting the colors of antitwilight, while ash and gas from Mount Etna are seen higher in the background. The pink band lower in the sky is called the Belt of Venus. During a full moon, the Moon and the Sun are in opposition in the sky: the moon rises as the sun sets. The lunar phase cycle lasts approximately 29.5 days (but the Moon takes approximately 27 days to orbit the Earth). In some cultures of the Northern Hemisphere, the September full moon is called the Harvest Moon. Does your culture have a special name for it? (A full moon by any other name would shine as bright.)
APOD's email for image submissions has changed. Please see: APOD Submissions APOD's main NASA site has moved: From apod.nasa.gov to science.nasa.gov/apod Tomorrow's picture: sharpless","credit":"Dario Giannobile","copyright":"Dario Giannobile","alt":"Rise of the Harvest Moon over the slopes of Mount Etna and the simultaneous play of colors in the anti-twilight.","url":"https://science.nasa.gov/image-article/apod-2026-october-1-harvest-moon-with-belt-of-venus-and-erupting-mount-etna/","hdurl":"https://assets.science.nasa.gov/dynamicimage/assets/science/cds/apod/apod/2026/october/Harvest%20Moon%20Trail%20With%20Venus%20Belt%20and%20Erupting%20Mount%20Etna%204%20LD.jpg?w=1600&h=1067&fit=clip&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint","basic_html":"\n\n\n\n\n APOD: 2026 October 1 - Harvest Moon with Erupting Mount Etna\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
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Astronomy Picture of the Day
\n
\n\nDiscover the cosmos!\nEach day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is\nfeatured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.\n
\n\n Explanation: \n\nExplanation: Have you ever seen the full moon rise? This colorful image was photographed last weekend in Sicily, just outside the town of Nicosia, in Italy. It is a composite photograph that shows the Moon rising as the sky turns darker. Lower clouds are reflecting the colors of antitwilight, while ash and gas from Mount Etna are seen higher in the background. The pink band lower in the sky is called the Belt of Venus. During a full moon, the Moon and the Sun are in opposition in the sky: the moon rises as the sun sets. The lunar phase cycle lasts approximately 29.5 days (but the Moon takes approximately 27 days to orbit the Earth). In some cultures of the Northern Hemisphere, the September full moon is called the Harvest Moon. Does your culture have a special name for it? (A full moon by any other name would shine as bright.)
\n\n","basic_html_url":"https://science.nasa.gov/wp-json/wp/v2/apod-basic/261001/html"},{"date":"2026-09-30","post_id":1424625,"title":"Arp 78: Peculiar Galaxy in Aries","permalink":"https://science.nasa.gov/image-article/apod-2026-september-30-arp-78-peculiar-galaxy-in-aries/","media_type":"image","explanation":"Explanation:Peculiar spiral galaxy Arp 78 is found within the boundaries of the head strong constellation Aries. Some 100 million light-years beyond the stars and nebulae of our Milky Way galaxy, the island universe is an enormous 200,000 light-years across. Also known as NGC 772, it sports a prominent, outer spiral arm in this detailed cosmic portrait. Tracking along sweeping dust lanes and lined with young blue star clusters, Arp 78's overdeveloped spiral arm is pumped-up by galactic-scale gravitational tides. Interactions with its brightest companion galaxy, the more compact NGC 770 seen directly below the larger spiral, are likely responsible. Embedded in faint star streams revealed in the deep telescopic exposure, NGC 770's fuzzy, elliptical appearance contrasts nicely with spiky foreground Milky Way stars.
APOD's email for image submissions has changed. Please see: APOD Submissions. Tomorrow's picture: a harvest","credit":"Robert Eder","copyright":"Robert Eder","alt":"A spiral galaxy viewed face-on with an extended spiral arm.","url":"https://science.nasa.gov/image-article/apod-2026-september-30-arp-78-peculiar-galaxy-in-aries/","hdurl":"https://assets.science.nasa.gov/dynamicimage/assets/science/cds/apod/apod/2026/october/NGC772_Robert_Eder.jpg?w=1772&h=1182&fit=clip&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint","basic_html":"\n\n\n\n\n APOD: 2026 September 30 - Arp 78: Peculiar Galaxy in Aries\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
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Astronomy Picture of the Day
\n
\n\nDiscover the cosmos!\nEach day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is\nfeatured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.\n
\n\n Explanation: \n\nExplanation:Peculiar spiral galaxy Arp 78 is found within the boundaries of the head strong constellation Aries. Some 100 million light-years beyond the stars and nebulae of our Milky Way galaxy, the island universe is an enormous 200,000 light-years across. Also known as NGC 772, it sports a prominent, outer spiral arm in this detailed cosmic portrait. Tracking along sweeping dust lanes and lined with young blue star clusters, Arp 78's overdeveloped spiral arm is pumped-up by galactic-scale gravitational tides. Interactions with its brightest companion galaxy, the more compact NGC 770 seen directly below the larger spiral, are likely responsible. Embedded in faint star streams revealed in the deep telescopic exposure, NGC 770's fuzzy, elliptical appearance contrasts nicely with spiky foreground Milky Way stars.
APOD's email for image submissions has changed. Please see: APOD Submissions. Tomorrow's picture: a harvest\n
\n\n","basic_html_url":"https://science.nasa.gov/wp-json/wp/v2/apod-basic/260930/html"},{"date":"2026-09-29","post_id":1420794,"title":"Sh2-188: The Shrimp Nebula","permalink":"https://science.nasa.gov/image-article/apod-2026-september-29-sh2-188-the-shrimp-nebula/","media_type":"image","explanation":"Explanation: What causes the swirl in the Shrimp Nebula? Its high speed is likely. What is sure is that Sh2-188 is one of the larger planetary nebulas on the night sky, by angular size, spanning about half the diameter of the Moon. Moreover, the white-dwarf core -- leftover from the Sun-like star that shed its outer atmosphere -- is moving unusually fast through interstellar space, creating a bow shock most visible on the upper left that is similar to a boat plowing through water. Although faint, the Shrimp Nebula glows also by compressing and brightening gas on its leading edge. The featured image was taken in the light of hydrogen, sulfur, and oxygen by a backyard telescope in Krakow, Poland and then digitally adjusted to approximate the nebula's true colors.
APOD's email for image submissions has changed. Please see: APOD Submissions APOD's main NASA site has moved: From apod.nasa.gov to science.nasa.gov/apod Tomorrow's picture: open space","credit":"Pawel Piechnik","copyright":"Pawel Piechnik","alt":"A starfield has a bright pink swirling nebula in it. The top part of the nebula shows much detail, while the bottom part is mostly open.","url":"https://science.nasa.gov/image-article/apod-2026-september-29-sh2-188-the-shrimp-nebula/","hdurl":"https://assets.science.nasa.gov/dynamicimage/assets/science/cds/apod/apod/2026/september/Shrimp_Pawel_2048.jpg?w=2048&h=2560&fit=clip&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint","basic_html":"\n\n\n\n\n APOD: 2026 September 29 - Sh2-188: The Shrimp Nebula\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
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Astronomy Picture of the Day
\n
\n\nDiscover the cosmos!\nEach day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is\nfeatured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.\n
\n\n Explanation: \n\nExplanation: What causes the swirl in the Shrimp Nebula? Its high speed is likely. What is sure is that Sh2-188 is one of the larger planetary nebulas on the night sky, by angular size, spanning about half the diameter of the Moon. Moreover, the white-dwarf core -- leftover from the Sun-like star that shed its outer atmosphere -- is moving unusually fast through interstellar space, creating a bow shock most visible on the upper left that is similar to a boat plowing through water. Although faint, the Shrimp Nebula glows also by compressing and brightening gas on its leading edge. The featured image was taken in the light of hydrogen, sulfur, and oxygen by a backyard telescope in Krakow, Poland and then digitally adjusted to approximate the nebula's true colors.
\n\n","basic_html_url":"https://science.nasa.gov/wp-json/wp/v2/apod-basic/260929/html"},{"date":"2026-09-28","post_id":1418025,"title":"Cosmic Latte: The Average Color of the Universe","permalink":"https://science.nasa.gov/image-article/apod-2026-september-28-cosmic-latte-the-average-color-of-the-universe/","media_type":"image","explanation":"Explanation: What color is the universe? More precisely, if the entire sky were smeared out, what color would the final mix be? This whimsical question came up when trying to determine what stars are commonplace in nearby galaxies. The answer, depicted here, is a conditionally perceived shade of beige. In computer parlance: #FFF8E7. To determine this, astronomers computationally averaged the light emitted by one of the larger samples of galaxies analyzed: the 200,000 galaxies of the 2dF Galaxy Redshift Survey. The resulting cosmic spectrum has some emission in all parts of the electromagnetic spectrum, but a single perceived composite color. This color has become much less blue over the past 10 billion years, indicating that redder stars are becoming more prevalent. In a contest to better name the color, notable entries included skyvory, univeige, and the winner: cosmic latte.
APOD's email for image submissions has changed. Please see: APOD Submissions Tomorrow: APOD's main NASA site is moving: From apod.nasa.gov to science.nasa.gov/apod Tomorrow's picture: sky swirl","credit":"Karl Glazebrook & Ivan Baldry (JHU)","copyright":"Karl Glazebrook & Ivan Baldry (JHU)","alt":"A single color covers the image: that similar to a latte cup of coffee. It is noted in text that apod.nasa.gov is moving to science.nasa.gov/apod.","url":"https://science.nasa.gov/image-article/apod-2026-september-28-cosmic-latte-the-average-color-of-the-universe/","hdurl":"https://assets.science.nasa.gov/dynamicimage/assets/science/cds/apod/apod/2026/september/CosmicLatte_jhu_960_annotated.jpg?w=960&h=640&fit=clip&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint","basic_html":"\n\n\n\n\n APOD: 2026 September 28 - Cosmic Latte: The Average Color of the Universe\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
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Astronomy Picture of the Day
\n
\n\nDiscover the cosmos!\nEach day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is\nfeatured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.\n
\n\n Explanation: \n\nExplanation: What color is the universe? More precisely, if the entire sky were smeared out, what color would the final mix be? This whimsical question came up when trying to determine what stars are commonplace in nearby galaxies. The answer, depicted here, is a conditionally perceived shade of beige. In computer parlance: #FFF8E7. To determine this, astronomers computationally averaged the light emitted by one of the larger samples of galaxies analyzed: the 200,000 galaxies of the 2dF Galaxy Redshift Survey. The resulting cosmic spectrum has some emission in all parts of the electromagnetic spectrum, but a single perceived composite color. This color has become much less blue over the past 10 billion years, indicating that redder stars are becoming more prevalent. In a contest to better name the color, notable entries included skyvory, univeige, and the winner: cosmic latte.
\n\n","basic_html_url":"https://science.nasa.gov/wp-json/wp/v2/apod-basic/260928/html"},{"date":"2026-09-27","post_id":1406925,"title":"Andromeda Before Photoshop","permalink":"https://science.nasa.gov/image-article/apod-2026-september-27-andromeda-before-photoshop/","media_type":"image","explanation":"Explanation: What does the Andromeda galaxy really look like? The featured before image shows how our Milky Way Galaxy's closest major galactic neighbor really appears in a long exposure through Earth's busy skies and with a digital camera that introduces normal imperfections. The picture is a stack of 223 images, each a 300 second exposure, taken from a garden observatory in Portugal during 2019. Obvious image deficiencies include bright parallel airplane trails, long and continuous satellite trails, short cosmic ray streaks, and bad pixels. In the after image, these imperfections were actually not removed with Photoshop specifically, but rather greatly reduced with a series of computer software packages that included Astro Pixel Processor, DeepSkyStacker, and PixInsight. All of this work was done not to deceive you with a digital fantasy that has little to do with the real likeness of the Andromeda galaxy (M31), but to minimize Earthly artifacts that have nothing to do with the distant galaxy and so better recreate what M31 really does look like.
APOD's email for image submissions has changed. Please see: APOD Submissions APOD's main NASA site is moving: From apod.nasa.gov to science.nasa.gov/apod Tomorrow's picture: cosmic latte","credit":"Kees Scherer","copyright":"Kees Scherer","alt":"Before image of the Andromeda galaxy with streaks marring the field of view.","url":"https://science.nasa.gov/image-article/apod-2026-september-27-andromeda-before-photoshop/","hdurl":"https://assets.science.nasa.gov/dynamicimage/assets/science/cds/apod/apod/2026/september/M31Before_Scherer_4298.jpg?w=4298&h=3394&fit=clip&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint","basic_html":"\n\n\n\n\n APOD: 2026 September 27 - Andromeda Before Photoshop\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
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Astronomy Picture of the Day
\n
\n\nDiscover the cosmos!\nEach day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is\nfeatured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.\n
\n\n Explanation: \n\nExplanation: What does the Andromeda galaxy really look like? The featured before image shows how our Milky Way Galaxy's closest major galactic neighbor really appears in a long exposure through Earth's busy skies and with a digital camera that introduces normal imperfections. The picture is a stack of 223 images, each a 300 second exposure, taken from a garden observatory in Portugal during 2019. Obvious image deficiencies include bright parallel airplane trails, long and continuous satellite trails, short cosmic ray streaks, and bad pixels. In the after image, these imperfections were actually not removed with Photoshop specifically, but rather greatly reduced with a series of computer software packages that included Astro Pixel Processor, DeepSkyStacker, and PixInsight. All of this work was done not to deceive you with a digital fantasy that has little to do with the real likeness of the Andromeda galaxy (M31), but to minimize Earthly artifacts that have nothing to do with the distant galaxy and so better recreate what M31 really does look like.
\n\n","basic_html_url":"https://science.nasa.gov/wp-json/wp/v2/apod-basic/260927/html"},{"date":"2026-09-26","post_id":1406910,"title":"Mirrored Meteor and Milky Way","permalink":"https://science.nasa.gov/image-article/apod-2026-september-26-mirrored-meteor-and-milky-way/","media_type":"image","explanation":"Explanation: On August 15, this perseid meteor streaked through night skies over the Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos at La Palma, Canary Islands, Spain. The bright and colorful meteor trail was captured next to the central Milky Way, whose dark interstellar dust clouds and luminous starlight reach above the horizon. In the foreground of this tantalizing celestial scene is the 23 meter diameter mirror of the prototype Large-Sized Telescope (LST-1). LST-1 is the first telescope constructed at the northern hemisphere site of the innovative Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory. With 198 hexagonal mirror segments and a large, high-efficiency, pixelized camera, LST-1 is designed to detect extremely brief, atmospheric visible light flashes. Lasting about a billionth of a second, the visible light flashes are triggered by energetic gamma-rays from cosmic sources such as distant active galaxies and gamma-ray bursts. Of course, on that night some individual mirror segments of LST-1 also reflected the atmospheric flash of the bright perseid meteor.
APOD's email for image submissions has changed. Please see: APOD Submissions. APOD's main NASA site is moving: From apod.nasa.gov to science.nasa.gov/apod Tomorrow's picture: before and after","credit":"Jeff Dai (TWAN)","copyright":"Jeff Dai (TWAN)","alt":"A large, segmented telescope mirror is seen against the night sky along with the Milky Way and a bright meteor.","url":"https://science.nasa.gov/image-article/apod-2026-september-26-mirrored-meteor-and-milky-way/","hdurl":"https://assets.science.nasa.gov/dynamicimage/assets/science/cds/apod/apod/2026/september/MilkyWayMeteorLSTJeffDai.jpg?w=2000&h=1334&fit=clip&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint","basic_html":"\n\n\n\n\n APOD: 2026 September 26 - Mirrored Meteor and Milky Way\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
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Astronomy Picture of the Day
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\n\nDiscover the cosmos!\nEach day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is\nfeatured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.\n
\n Mirrored Meteor and Milky Way \n\nImage Credit &\nCopyright:\n\nJeff Dai (TWAN)\n
\n\n
\n\n Explanation: \n\nExplanation: On August 15, this perseid meteor streaked through night skies over the Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos at La Palma, Canary Islands, Spain. The bright and colorful meteor trail was captured next to the central Milky Way, whose dark interstellar dust clouds and luminous starlight reach above the horizon. In the foreground of this tantalizing celestial scene is the 23 meter diameter mirror of the prototype Large-Sized Telescope (LST-1). LST-1 is the first telescope constructed at the northern hemisphere site of the innovative Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory. With 198 hexagonal mirror segments and a large, high-efficiency, pixelized camera, LST-1 is designed to detect extremely brief, atmospheric visible light flashes. Lasting about a billionth of a second, the visible light flashes are triggered by energetic gamma-rays from cosmic sources such as distant active galaxies and gamma-ray bursts. Of course, on that night some individual mirror segments of LST-1 also reflected the atmospheric flash of the bright perseid meteor.
\n\n","basic_html_url":"https://science.nasa.gov/wp-json/wp/v2/apod-basic/260926/html"},{"date":"2026-09-25","post_id":1398432,"title":"Globular Cluster Omega Centauri","permalink":"https://science.nasa.gov/image-article/apod-2026-september-25-globular-star-cluster-omega-centauri/","media_type":"image","explanation":"Explanation: Globular star cluster Omega Centauripacks about 10 million stars much older than the Sun into a volume some 150 light-years in diameter. Also known as NGC 5139, at a distance of 15,000 light-years it's the largest and brightest of 200 or so known globular clusters that roam the halo of our Milky Way galaxy. Though most star clusters consist of stars with the same age and composition, the enigmatic Omega Cen exhibits the presence of different stellar populations with a spread of ages and chemical abundances. In fact, Omega Cen may be the remnant core of a small galaxy merging with the Milky Way. With a yellowish hue, Omega Centauri's red giant stars are easy to pick out in this sharp telescopic view. A two-decade-long exploration of the dense star cluster with the Hubble Space Telescope has revealed evidence for a massive black hole near the center of Omega Centauri.
APOD's email for image submissions has changed. Please see: APOD Submissions. APOD's main NASA site is moving: From apod.nasa.gov to science.nasa.gov/apod Tomorrow's picture: reflections on a starry night ","credit":"Javier O. Cadenas Parra","copyright":"Javier O. Cadenas Parra","alt":"A dense globular cluster of stars.","url":"https://science.nasa.gov/image-article/apod-2026-september-25-globular-star-cluster-omega-centauri/","hdurl":"https://assets.science.nasa.gov/dynamicimage/assets/science/cds/apod/apod/2026/september/NGC5139CadenasParra.jpg?w=2048&h=1542&fit=clip&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint","basic_html":"\n\n\n\n\n APOD: 2026 September 25 - Globular Cluster Omega Centauri\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
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Astronomy Picture of the Day
\n
\n\nDiscover the cosmos!\nEach day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is\nfeatured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.\n
\n\n Explanation: \n\nExplanation: Globular star cluster Omega Centauripacks about 10 million stars much older than the Sun into a volume some 150 light-years in diameter. Also known as NGC 5139, at a distance of 15,000 light-years it's the largest and brightest of 200 or so known globular clusters that roam the halo of our Milky Way galaxy. Though most star clusters consist of stars with the same age and composition, the enigmatic Omega Cen exhibits the presence of different stellar populations with a spread of ages and chemical abundances. In fact, Omega Cen may be the remnant core of a small galaxy merging with the Milky Way. With a yellowish hue, Omega Centauri's red giant stars are easy to pick out in this sharp telescopic view. A two-decade-long exploration of the dense star cluster with the Hubble Space Telescope has revealed evidence for a massive black hole near the center of Omega Centauri.
\n\n","basic_html_url":"https://science.nasa.gov/wp-json/wp/v2/apod-basic/260925/html"},{"date":"2026-09-24","post_id":1387181,"title":"The Ghosts of Five Supernovas","permalink":"https://science.nasa.gov/image-article/apod-2026-september-24-the-ghosts-of-five-supernovas/","media_type":"image","explanation":"Explanation: The ghosts of five supernovas haunt this extraordinary image. It was acquired at Ouka\u00efmeden Observatory in Morocco with approximately 200 hours of observations and shows a large patch of the sky, equivalent to the area of one thousand full moons tiled together, in the constellation of Auriga (the Charioteer). From left to right, the five supernova remnants visible across the field are G181.1+9.5, G182.4+4.3, G179.0+2.6, G180.0\u22121.7 (Sh2-240, the Spaghetti Nebula), and G178.2\u22124.2. They are highlighted in the annotated image, together with open clusterM37 and the Tadpole Nebula. As each explosion expanded into space, it created a growing shell of shocked gas and delicate filamentary structures shown in red (hydrogen) and blue (oxygen), respectively. These ancient stellar explosions happened independently; they are at various distances up to about several thousands of light-years away from Earth and have estimated ages up to tens of thousands of years old. Early humans may have seen them as bright new stars, fading over weeks or months.
APOD's email for image submissions has changed. Please see: APOD Submissions. APOD's main NASA site is moving: From apod.nasa.gov to science.nasa.gov/apod Tomorrow's picture: what's next? ","credit":"Stephane Vetter, Yann Sainty","copyright":"Stephane Vetter, Yann Sainty","alt":"See Explanation. Moving the cursor over the image will bring up an annotated version. Clicking on the image will bring up the highest resolution version available.","url":"https://science.nasa.gov/image-article/apod-2026-september-24-the-ghosts-of-five-supernovas/","hdurl":"https://assets.science.nasa.gov/dynamicimage/assets/science/cds/apod/apod/2026/september/5SNR_Auriga_2000.jpg?w=2000&h=1255&fit=clip&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint","basic_html":"\n\n\n\n\n APOD: 2026 September 24 - The Ghosts of Five Supernovas\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n
Astronomy Picture of the Day
\n
\n\nDiscover the cosmos!\nEach day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is\nfeatured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.\n
\n\n Explanation: \n\nExplanation: The ghosts of five supernovas haunt this extraordinary image. It was acquired at Ouka\u00efmeden Observatory in Morocco with approximately 200 hours of observations and shows a large patch of the sky, equivalent to the area of one thousand full moons tiled together, in the constellation of Auriga (the Charioteer). From left to right, the five supernova remnants visible across the field are G181.1+9.5, G182.4+4.3, G179.0+2.6, G180.0\u22121.7 (Sh2-240, the Spaghetti Nebula), and G178.2\u22124.2. They are highlighted in the annotated image, together with open clusterM37 and the Tadpole Nebula. As each explosion expanded into space, it created a growing shell of shocked gas and delicate filamentary structures shown in red (hydrogen) and blue (oxygen), respectively. These ancient stellar explosions happened independently; they are at various distances up to about several thousands of light-years away from Earth and have estimated ages up to tens of thousands of years old. Early humans may have seen them as bright new stars, fading over weeks or months.
\n\n","basic_html_url":"https://science.nasa.gov/wp-json/wp/v2/apod-basic/260924/html"},{"date":"2026-09-23","post_id":1378766,"title":"A New Lunar Crater: McGetchin","permalink":"https://science.nasa.gov/image-article/apod-2026-september-23-the-mcgetchin-crater/","media_type":"image","explanation":"Explanation: A once-in-a-lifetime crater has appeared on the Moon! A comet or asteroid roughly the size of a humpback whale (approximately 10-20 meters, 30-60 feet) crashed into the Moon sometime between April and May of 2024. The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), with its monthly monitoring of the Moon, captured today\u2019s images of the lunar surface before and after the event. The resulting crater, named after Apollo-era lunar scientist McGetchin, is two soccer fields across. Craters of this size are only expected once every 132 years! Follow up thermal imaging revealed a large cold spot that surrounds the warm crater. Surface impacts will puff up the loose lunar sediment, or regolith, making it less dense and harder to retain heat. This event affected an area much larger than the visible crater, which will inform humanity\u2019s understanding of surface impacts and the evolution of the Moon\u2019s surface. It also reminds us all to be thankful for Earth's atmosphere.
APOD's submission email has changed. Please see APOD Submissions. APOD's main NASA site is moving: From apod.nasa.gov to science.nasa.gov/apod Tomorrow's picture: the great unknown","credit":"NASA/GSFC/Intuitive Machines","copyright":"NASA/GSFC/Intuitive Machines","alt":"An image of the lunar surface with a large depression at the center surrounded by raised ridges that slope down back to the surface.","url":"https://science.nasa.gov/image-article/apod-2026-september-23-the-mcgetchin-crater/","hdurl":"https://assets.science.nasa.gov/dynamicimage/assets/science/cds/apod/apod/2026/september/content_mcgetchin_after.jpg?w=925&h=925&fit=clip&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint","basic_html":"\n\n\n\n\n APOD: 2026 September 23 - A New Lunar Crater: McGetchin\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n
Astronomy Picture of the Day
\n
\n\nDiscover the cosmos!\nEach day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is\nfeatured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.\n
\n A New Lunar Crater: McGetchin \n\nImage Credit &\nCopyright:\n\nNASA/GSFC/Intuitive Machines\n
\n\n
\n\n Explanation: \n\nExplanation: A once-in-a-lifetime crater has appeared on the Moon! A comet or asteroid roughly the size of a humpback whale (approximately 10-20 meters, 30-60 feet) crashed into the Moon sometime between April and May of 2024. The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), with its monthly monitoring of the Moon, captured today\u2019s images of the lunar surface before and after the event. The resulting crater, named after Apollo-era lunar scientist McGetchin, is two soccer fields across. Craters of this size are only expected once every 132 years! Follow up thermal imaging revealed a large cold spot that surrounds the warm crater. Surface impacts will puff up the loose lunar sediment, or regolith, making it less dense and harder to retain heat. This event affected an area much larger than the visible crater, which will inform humanity\u2019s understanding of surface impacts and the evolution of the Moon\u2019s surface. It also reminds us all to be thankful for Earth's atmosphere.
\n\n","basic_html_url":"https://science.nasa.gov/wp-json/wp/v2/apod-basic/260923/html"},{"date":"2026-09-22","post_id":1337873,"title":"Chance Triple Alignment: Plane, Space Station, Sun","permalink":"https://science.nasa.gov/image-article/apod-2026-september-22-chance-triple-alignment-plane-space-station-sun/","media_type":"image","explanation":"Explanation: This shot captured an unexpected silhouette. \u00a0 Which is it? It isn't the sunspots, the small dark regions caused by concentrated magnetic fields visible around the Sun's bright disk. \u00a0 Sunspots typically last for weeks and were expected, since these spots were seen previously. It isn\u2019t the International Space Station (ISS), the small dark structure on the middle left.\u00a0 This is\u00a0because the featured picture was planned with sub-second timing to record the iconic structure passing before the Sun. It is the airplane. Just as this exposure was taking place in June, from Prasek in the Czech Republic, an airplane began its own miniature partial eclipse. The result is this triply aligned image of our Sun. The photographer estimates that the chance of any random Sun image containing silhouettes of both a space station and an airplane, from that location, is about 30 million to one.\u00a0
APOD's main NASA site is moving: From apod.nasa.gov to science.nasa.gov/apod Tomorrow's picture: open space","credit":"Petr Horalek / Inst. Physics Opava","copyright":"Petr Horalek / Inst. Physics Opava","alt":"An image of the Sun is shown with several dark silhouettes superposed. On the upper right is an airplane, on the right is the International Space Station, and across the Sun are several sunspots.","url":"https://science.nasa.gov/image-article/apod-2026-september-22-chance-triple-alignment-plane-space-station-sun/","hdurl":"https://assets.science.nasa.gov/dynamicimage/assets/science/cds/apod/apod/2026/september/PlaneIssSpots_Horalek_1500.jpg?w=1500&h=1500&fit=clip&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint","basic_html":"\n\n\n\n\n APOD: 2026 September 22 - Chance Triple Alignment: Plane, Space Station, Sun\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n
Astronomy Picture of the Day
\n
\n\nDiscover the cosmos!\nEach day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is\nfeatured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.\n
\n\n Explanation: \n\nExplanation: This shot captured an unexpected silhouette. \u00a0 Which is it? It isn't the sunspots, the small dark regions caused by concentrated magnetic fields visible around the Sun's bright disk. \u00a0 Sunspots typically last for weeks and were expected, since these spots were seen previously. It isn\u2019t the International Space Station (ISS), the small dark structure on the middle left.\u00a0 This is\u00a0because the featured picture was planned with sub-second timing to record the iconic structure passing before the Sun. It is the airplane. Just as this exposure was taking place in June, from Prasek in the Czech Republic, an airplane began its own miniature partial eclipse. The result is this triply aligned image of our Sun. The photographer estimates that the chance of any random Sun image containing silhouettes of both a space station and an airplane, from that location, is about 30 million to one.\u00a0
\n\n","basic_html_url":"https://science.nasa.gov/wp-json/wp/v2/apod-basic/260922/html"},{"date":"2026-09-21","post_id":1370732,"title":"Cocoon Nebula Wide Field","permalink":"https://science.nasa.gov/image-article/apod-2026-september-21-cocoon-nebula-wide-field/","media_type":"image","explanation":"Explanation: When does a nebula look like a comet? In this crowded starfield covering over two degrees within the high-flying constellation of the Swan (Cygnus), the eye is drawn to the Cocoon Nebula. A compact star forming region, the cosmic Cocoon punctuates a nebula bright in emission and reflection on the lower right, with a long trail of interstellar dust clouds to the left, making the entire complex appear a bit like a comet. Cataloged as IC 5146, the central bright head of the nebula spans about 10 light years, while the dark dusty tail spans nearly 100 light years. Both are located about 2,500 light years away. A bright star near the colorful nebula's center likely supplies power and helps clear out a cavity. The long dusty filaments of the tail, although dark in this visible light image, hide stars in the process of formation. The featured image was captured in July from Death Valley, California, USA.
APOD's main NASA site is moving: From apod.nasa.gov to science.nasa.gov/apod Tomorrow's picture: triple eclipse","credit":"Piotr Czerski","copyright":"Piotr Czerski","alt":"A starfield is shown against a patchy red-glowing background. Two irregular brown trails occur, the lower of which culminates in a bright pink and white region.","url":"https://science.nasa.gov/image-article/apod-2026-september-21-cocoon-nebula-wide-field/","hdurl":"https://assets.science.nasa.gov/dynamicimage/assets/science/cds/apod/apod/2026/september/Cocoon_Czerski_3000.jpg?w=3000&h=2000&fit=clip&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint","basic_html":"\n\n\n\n\n APOD: 2026 September 21 - Cocoon Nebula Wide Field\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n
Astronomy Picture of the Day
\n
\n\nDiscover the cosmos!\nEach day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is\nfeatured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.\n
\n\n Explanation: \n\nExplanation: When does a nebula look like a comet? In this crowded starfield covering over two degrees within the high-flying constellation of the Swan (Cygnus), the eye is drawn to the Cocoon Nebula. A compact star forming region, the cosmic Cocoon punctuates a nebula bright in emission and reflection on the lower right, with a long trail of interstellar dust clouds to the left, making the entire complex appear a bit like a comet. Cataloged as IC 5146, the central bright head of the nebula spans about 10 light years, while the dark dusty tail spans nearly 100 light years. Both are located about 2,500 light years away. A bright star near the colorful nebula's center likely supplies power and helps clear out a cavity. The long dusty filaments of the tail, although dark in this visible light image, hide stars in the process of formation. The featured image was captured in July from Death Valley, California, USA.
\n\n","basic_html_url":"https://science.nasa.gov/wp-json/wp/v2/apod-basic/260921/html"},{"date":"2026-09-20","post_id":1362045,"title":"Analemma over the Callanish Stones","permalink":"https://science.nasa.gov/image-article/apod-2026-september-20-analemma-over-the-callanish-stones/","media_type":"image","explanation":"Explanation: If you went outside at the same time every day and took a picture that included the Sun, how would the Sun's position change? A visual answer to that question is an analemma, a composite image taken from the same spot at the same time over the course of a year. The featured analemma was composed from images taken every few days at noon near the village of Callanish in the Outer Hebrides in Scotland, UK. In the foreground are the CallanishStones, a stone circle built around 2700 BC during humanity's Bronze Age. It is not known if the placement of the Callanish Stones has or had astronomical significance. The ultimate causes for the figure-8 shape of this and all analemmas are the tilt of the Earth axis and the ellipticity of the Earth's orbit around the Sun. At the solstices, the Sun will appear at the top or bottom of an analemma. The featured image was taken near the December solstice and so the Sun appears near the bottom. Equinoxes, however, correspond to analemma middle points -- not the intersection point. In two days there will be an equinox (\"equal night\"), when day and night are equal over all of planet Earth. Many cultures celebrate a change of season at an equinox.
APOD's main NASA site is moving: From apod.nasa.gov to science.nasa.gov/apod Tomorrow's picture: open space","credit":"Giuseppe Petricca","copyright":"Giuseppe Petricca","alt":"Multiple images of the Sun trace out an analemma curve in the daytime sky above the Callanish stones.","url":"https://science.nasa.gov/image-article/apod-2026-september-20-analemma-over-the-callanish-stones/","hdurl":"https://assets.science.nasa.gov/dynamicimage/assets/science/cds/apod/apod/2026/september/CallanishAnalemma_Petricca_1280.jpg?w=1280&h=1477&fit=clip&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint","basic_html":"\n\n\n\n\n APOD: 2026 September 20 - Analemma over the Callanish Stones\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n
Astronomy Picture of the Day
\n
\n\nDiscover the cosmos!\nEach day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is\nfeatured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.\n
\n\n Explanation: \n\nExplanation: If you went outside at the same time every day and took a picture that included the Sun, how would the Sun's position change? A visual answer to that question is an analemma, a composite image taken from the same spot at the same time over the course of a year. The featured analemma was composed from images taken every few days at noon near the village of Callanish in the Outer Hebrides in Scotland, UK. In the foreground are the CallanishStones, a stone circle built around 2700 BC during humanity's Bronze Age. It is not known if the placement of the Callanish Stones has or had astronomical significance. The ultimate causes for the figure-8 shape of this and all analemmas are the tilt of the Earth axis and the ellipticity of the Earth's orbit around the Sun. At the solstices, the Sun will appear at the top or bottom of an analemma. The featured image was taken near the December solstice and so the Sun appears near the bottom. Equinoxes, however, correspond to analemma middle points -- not the intersection point. In two days there will be an equinox (\"equal night\"), when day and night are equal over all of planet Earth. Many cultures celebrate a change of season at an equinox.
\n\n","basic_html_url":"https://science.nasa.gov/wp-json/wp/v2/apod-basic/260920/html"},{"date":"2026-09-19","post_id":1355099,"title":"A Zodiacal Night","permalink":"https://science.nasa.gov/image-article/apod-2026-september-19-a-zodiacal-night/","media_type":"image","explanation":"Explanation:Also known as the false dawn, a luminous band of zodiacal light is captured in this dark night skyscape. The serene view was recorded just before the beginning of astronomical twilight during September's star party at the remote Hanle Dark Sky Reserve, Ladakh, India, planet Earth. At about 4,500 meters altitude, the dark sky reserve presents a haven for hardy stargazing and astrophotography enthusiasts. While meteors streak through the night, bright planet Jupiter appears immersed in the faint zodiacal glow near the eastern horizon. Follow the zodiacal band toward the zenith to find open star cluster M44 and a yellowish tinged planet Mars near the center of the frame. In fact, serendipitous detections of interplanetary dust by NASA's Juno spacecraft suggest Mars itself is the source of dust that back scatters sunlight and creates zodiacal light in planet Earth's night.
APOD's main NASA site is moving: From apod.nasa.gov to science.nasa.gov/apod Tomorrow's picture: only sunny days ","credit":"Neelam and Ajay Talwar (TWAN)","copyright":"Neelam and Ajay Talwar (TWAN)","alt":"Two people are seated looking up at the night sky.","url":"https://science.nasa.gov/image-article/apod-2026-september-19-a-zodiacal-night/","hdurl":"https://assets.science.nasa.gov/dynamicimage/assets/science/cds/apod/apod/2026/september/2026-09-09ZodiacalLightHSP.jpg?w=2060&h=1393&fit=clip&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint","basic_html":"\n\n\n\n\n APOD: 2026 September 19 - A Zodiacal Night\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n
Astronomy Picture of the Day
\n
\n\nDiscover the cosmos!\nEach day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is\nfeatured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.\n
\n\n Explanation: \n\nExplanation:Also known as the false dawn, a luminous band of zodiacal light is captured in this dark night skyscape. The serene view was recorded just before the beginning of astronomical twilight during September's star party at the remote Hanle Dark Sky Reserve, Ladakh, India, planet Earth. At about 4,500 meters altitude, the dark sky reserve presents a haven for hardy stargazing and astrophotography enthusiasts. While meteors streak through the night, bright planet Jupiter appears immersed in the faint zodiacal glow near the eastern horizon. Follow the zodiacal band toward the zenith to find open star cluster M44 and a yellowish tinged planet Mars near the center of the frame. In fact, serendipitous detections of interplanetary dust by NASA's Juno spacecraft suggest Mars itself is the source of dust that back scatters sunlight and creates zodiacal light in planet Earth's night.
![close inspection](\"https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/funny-dog-nose-closeups-30__700.jpg\"){kind=link}
![\"The](\"https://assets.science.nasa.gov/dynamicimage/assets/science/cds/apod/apod/2026/october/Stairway2Heaven_Looten_6750.jpg\")
\n![\"In](\"https://assets.science.nasa.gov/dynamicimage/assets/science/cds/apod/apod/2026/october/JupiterMoons_Upreti_3105.jpg\")
\n![\"A](\"https://assets.science.nasa.gov/dynamicimage/assets/science/cds/apod/apod/2026/october/deephole_icecube_4000.jpg\")
\n![\"A](\"https://assets.science.nasa.gov/dynamicimage/assets/science/cds/apod/apod/2026/october/farside_lro1600.jpg\")
\n![\"A](\"https://assets.science.nasa.gov/dynamicimage/assets/science/cds/apod/apod/2026/october/PSP_007769_9010_IRB_Stickney.jpg\")
\n![\"Saturn](\"https://assets.science.nasa.gov/dynamicimage/assets/science/cds/apod/apod/2026/october/2026-09-21-2349_3-TW-RGB-Sat2_1.5x_Labelled.png\")
\n![\"A](\"https://assets.science.nasa.gov/dynamicimage/assets/science/cds/apod/apod/2026/october/noirlab2624a.jpg\")
\n![\"See](\"https://assets.science.nasa.gov/dynamicimage/assets/science/cds/apod/apod/2013/october/n891_block.jpg\")
\n![\"A](\"https://assets.science.nasa.gov/dynamicimage/assets/science/cds/apod/apod/2026/october/M104_Vollmer_4222.jpg\")
\n![\"The](\"https://assets.science.nasa.gov/dynamicimage/assets/science/cds/apod/apod/2026/october/SupernumeraryRainbows_Entwistle_1362.jpg\")
\n![\"Fisheye](\"https://assets.science.nasa.gov/dynamicimage/assets/science/cds/apod/apod/2026/october/Sol1943CuriosityBodrov.jpg\")
\n![\"Rise](\"https://assets.science.nasa.gov/dynamicimage/assets/science/cds/apod/apod/2026/october/Harvest%20Moon%20Trail%20With%20Venus%20Belt%20and%20Erupting%20Mount%20Etna%204%20LD.jpg\")
\n![\"A](\"https://assets.science.nasa.gov/dynamicimage/assets/science/cds/apod/apod/2026/october/NGC772_Robert_Eder.jpg\")
\n![\"A](\"https://assets.science.nasa.gov/dynamicimage/assets/science/cds/apod/apod/2026/september/Shrimp_Pawel_2048.jpg\")
\n![\"A](\"https://assets.science.nasa.gov/dynamicimage/assets/science/cds/apod/apod/2026/september/CosmicLatte_jhu_960_annotated.jpg\")
\n![\"Before](\"https://assets.science.nasa.gov/dynamicimage/assets/science/cds/apod/apod/2026/september/M31Before_Scherer_4298.jpg\")
\n![\"A](\"https://assets.science.nasa.gov/dynamicimage/assets/science/cds/apod/apod/2026/september/MilkyWayMeteorLSTJeffDai.jpg\")
\n![\"A](\"https://assets.science.nasa.gov/dynamicimage/assets/science/cds/apod/apod/2026/september/NGC5139CadenasParra.jpg\")
\n![\"See](\"https://assets.science.nasa.gov/dynamicimage/assets/science/cds/apod/apod/2026/september/5SNR_Auriga_2000.jpg\")
\n![\"An](\"https://assets.science.nasa.gov/dynamicimage/assets/science/cds/apod/apod/2026/september/content_mcgetchin_after.jpg\")
\n![\"An](\"https://assets.science.nasa.gov/dynamicimage/assets/science/cds/apod/apod/2026/september/PlaneIssSpots_Horalek_1500.jpg\")
\n![\"A](\"https://assets.science.nasa.gov/dynamicimage/assets/science/cds/apod/apod/2026/september/Cocoon_Czerski_3000.jpg\")
\n![\"Multiple](\"https://assets.science.nasa.gov/dynamicimage/assets/science/cds/apod/apod/2026/september/CallanishAnalemma_Petricca_1280.jpg\")
\n![\"Two](\"https://assets.science.nasa.gov/dynamicimage/assets/science/cds/apod/apod/2026/september/2026-09-09ZodiacalLightHSP.jpg\")
\n![hat](\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hat#/media/File:Pierre_Auguste_Renoir_-_Woman_in_a_Flowered_Hat_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg\"){kind=link}
![Namibia](\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Namibia#/media/File:Namibia_(orthographic_projection).svg\"){kind=link}
![five captured](\"https://i.pinimg.com/originals/b3/70/3f/b3703f3c9b83bf4ffa1f75294695795a.jpg\"){kind=link}
![car-sized rover's](\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curiosity_(rover)#/media/File:PIA15279_3rovers-stand_D2011_1215_D521.jpg\"){kind=link}
![compressing](\"https://i.imgur.com/YceJ86e.jpeg\"){kind=link}
![more prevalent](\"https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.redd.it%2Fprm50mltnj4d1.jpeg\"){kind=link}
![annotated image](\"image/2609/5SNR_Auriga_annotated_1000.jpg\"){kind=link}
![large cold spot](\"https://assets.science.nasa.gov/content/dam/science/missions/lro/McGetchinLROblinkImage.gif\"){kind=link}
![Earth's orbit](\"https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Equinox_Solstice-Info-Graphic_WTS.jpg\"){kind=link}