Browse NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day archive by date and media: Archive Discoveries
Browse the NASA APOD archive without needing the exact date first. Filter by media type and keep moving deeper into older images and videos.
X-Ray Rings Expand from a Gamma Ray Burst
Why do x-ray rings appear to emanate from a gamma-ray burst? The surprising answer has little to do with the explosion itself but rather with light reflected off sheets of dust…
Valles Marineris Perspective from Mars Express
Europe's Mars Express satellite has started returning detailed color images of the red planet. The first of the current armada to arrive at Mars , the orbiting satellite will…
The Crab Nebula from CFHT
This is the mess that is left when a star explodes. The Crab Nebula , the result of a supernova seen in 1054 AD , is filled with mysterious filaments. The filaments are not only…
Opportunity on Mars
You've just woken up in a small crater on Mars. The surrounding landscape is barren, strange, and alien. You've never been on this world before. You transmit pictures that are…
A Landing at Meridiani Planum
After an interplanetary journey of nearly 300 million miles, Opportunity bounced down on the martian surface at about 9:05 pm PST Saturday, its final plunge cushioned by airbags .…
Spiral Galaxy NGC 1232
Galaxies are fascinating not only for what is visible, but for what is invisible. Grand spiral galaxy NGC 1232 , captured in detail by one of the new Very Large Telescopes , is a…
Valles Marineris from Mars Express
Looking down from orbit on January 14, ESA's Mars Express spacecraft scanned a 1700 by 65 kilometer swath across Valles Marineris - the Grand Canyon of Mars - with its remarkable…
NGC 4631: The Whale Galaxy
NGC 4631 is a big beautiful spiral galaxy seen edge-on only 25 million light-years away towards the small northern constellation Canes Venatici . This galaxy's slightly distorted…
Columbia Memorial Station
After leaving its nest, the Spirit rover turned to capture this spectacular view over the Columbia Memorial Station and the floor of Gusev crater on the 16th sol of its visit to…
Adirondack Rock on Mars
Is this a great pyramid on Mars? Actually, the pictured rock dubbed Adirondack has an irregular shape, is only about the size of a football , and has formed by natural processes .…
Unexpected Galaxy String in the Early Universe
How could such a long string of galaxies form so early in the universe? Several new measurements of galaxies and clusters in the early universe are reporting structures involving…
STARDUST Flyby of Comet Wild 2
Flying past a comet nucleus is dangerous. On January 2, the robot spacecraft STARDUST became one of the first to plow through the surrounding cloud of dust and grit to photograph…
A Close-Up of Martian Soil
Make your background the closest image of Mars yet. The Spirit Rover currently rolling on Mars has taken the highest resolution image to date of another planet. The above black…
Saturn: Lord of the Rings
Born in 1564, Galileo used a telescope to explore the Solar System. In 1610, he became the first to be amazed by Saturn's rings, After nearly 400 years, Saturn's magnificent rings…
Martian Surface in Perspective
Spirit moved across Mars yesterday as the rover successfully maneuvered down off its lander, driving its six wheels onto the floor of Gusev crater. As planned, the robotic…
An Orion Deep Field
Adrift 1,500 light-years away in one of the night sky's most recognizable constellations , the glowing Orion Nebula and the dark Horsehead Nebula are contrasting cosmic vistas.…
A Mars Panorama from the Spirit Rover
If you could stand on Mars -- what would you see? Scrolling right will reveal a full color 360-degree panoramic view from NASA's Spirit Rover that landed on Mars just 10 days ago.…
An Apollo 15 Panorama
The Apollo 15 mission to Earth's Moon was dedicated to better understanding the surface of the moon by exploring mountains, valleys, maria, and highlands . Astronauts David Scott…
A Hole Punch Cloud Over Alabama
What could create a huge hole in the clouds? Such a hole, likely hundreds of meters across, was photographed last month from a driveway near Mobile, Alabama , USA . Very unusual…
NGC 2440: Cocoon of a New White Dwarf
Like a butterfly , a white dwarf star begins its life by casting off a cocoon that enclosed its former self. In this analogy, however, the Sun would be a caterpillar and the…
Two Worlds, One Sun
Two Worlds, One Sun , is the legend emblazoned on the Spirit rover's camera calibration target. Resting on the rover's rear deck , it also doubles as a sundial , allowing students…
Sol 5 Postcard from Mars
A martian Sol - the average martian solar day - is about 39 minutes longer than Earth's familiar 24 hour day. Operating on martian time , the Spirit rover recently sent back this…
The Hills of Mars
Distant hills rise above a rocky, windswept plain in this sharp stereo scene from the Spirit rover on Mars . When viewed with red/blue glasses, the picture combines left and right…
Red Mars from Spirit
Rocks are strewn across the broad, flat Gusev crater floor in this sharp color picture from NASA's Spirit rover . Recorded by the rover's panoramic camera , the picture is part of…
Viewing discoveries from 30 January 2004 through 7 January 2004.