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.
Anemic Galaxy NGC 4921 at the Edge
How far away is spiral galaxy NGC 4921? Although presently estimated to be about 320 million light years distant, a more precise determination could be coupled with its known…
Inside the Eagle Nebula
From afar, the whole thing looks like an Eagle . A closer look at the Eagle Nebula , however, shows the bright region is actually a window into the center of a larger dark shell…
Comet Lulin Tails
Sweeping through the inner solar system, Comet Lulin is easily visible in both northern and southern hemispheres with binoculars or a small telescope. Recent changes in Lulin's…
Space Station in the Moon
On February 2nd , a first quarter Moon shone in planet Earth's early evening sky. As seen from a location on the US west coast near Mt. Hamilton , California, the International…
NGC 604: X-rays from a Giant Stellar Nursery
Some 3 million light-years distant in nearby spiral galaxy M33 , giant stellar nursery NGC 604 is about 1,300 light-years across, or nearly 100 times the size of the Orion Nebula…
A Dangerous Summer on HD 80606b
On the distant planet HD 80606b, summers might be dangerous. Hypothetic life forms floating in HD 080606b 's atmosphere or lurking on one of its (presently hypothetical) moons…
Lenticular Clouds Above Washington
Are those UFOs near that mountain? No -- they are multilayered lenticular clouds . Moist air forced to flow upward around mountain tops can create lenticular clouds . Water…
Comet Lulin Approaches
How bright will Comet Lulin become? No one knows for sure. Although it is notoriously difficult to accurately predict the brightness of newly discovered comets, Comet Lulin could…
Auroral Corona Over Norway
Higher than highest communications tower , higher than highest mountain , higher than highest airplane , lies the realm of the aurora. Auroras rarely reach below 60 kilometers,…
Simeis 147: Supernova Remnant
It's easy to get lost following the intricate filaments in this detailed image of faint supernova remnant Simeis 147. Also cataloged as Sh2-240 and seen towards the constellation…
NGC 1579: Trifid of the North
Colorful NGC 1579 resembles the better known Trifid Nebula, but lies much farther north in planet Earth's sky, in the heroic constellation Perseus . About 2,100 light-years away…
Eclipse Shirt 2009
Of course , everyone is concerned about what to wear to a solar eclipse . This is a great example though, especially for the first eclipse of the International Year of Astronomy…
A Partial Eclipse Over Manila Bay
What's happened to the setting Sun? An eclipse! Two days ago, the Moon eclipsed part of the Sun as visible from parts of Africa, Australia, and Asia . In particular the above…
The Milky Way Over Mauna Kea
Have you ever seen the band of our Milky Way Galaxy? In a clear sky from a dark location at the right time, a faint band of light becomes visible across the sky. Soon after your…
AE Aurigae and the Flaming Star Nebula
Is star AE Aurigae on fire? No. Even though AE Aurigae is named the flaming star, the surrounding nebula IC 405 is named the Flaming Star Nebula , and the region appears to harbor…
Annular Eclipse: The Ring of Fire
Tomorrow, a few lucky people may see a “ring of fire.” That's a name for the central view of an annular eclipse of the Sun by the Moon . At the peak of this eclipse , the middle…
The Bubble Nebula
Blown by the wind from a massive star, this interstellar apparition has a surprisingly familiar shape . Cataloged as NGC 7635, it is also known simply as The Bubble Nebula . This…
Globular Cluster NGC 2419
Of three objects prominent in this thoughtful telescopic image, a view toward the stealthy constellation Lynx , two (the spiky ones) are nearby stars. The third is the remote…
Planetary Nebula NGC 2818
NGC 2818 is a beautiful planetary nebula , the gaseous shroud of a dying sun-like star . It could well offer a glimpse of the future that awaits our own Sun after spending another…
A Lenticular Cloud Over New Zealand
What's happening above those mountains? Several clouds are stacked up into one striking lenticular cloud . Normally, air moves much more horizontally than it does vertically.…
Bonestell Panorama from Mars
If you could stand on Mars -- what could you see? One memorable vista might be the above 360-degree panoramic image taken by the robotic Spirit rover over the last year. The above…
Methane Discovered in the Atmosphere of Mars
Why is there methane on Mars? No one is sure. An important confirmation that methane exists in the atmosphere of Mars occurred last week, bolstering previous controversial claims…
Saturn's Hyperion: A Moon with Odd Craters
What lies at the bottom of Hyperion 's strange craters? Nobody knows. To help find out, the robot Cassini spacecraft now orbiting Saturn swooped past the sponge-textured moon in…
IC 410 and NGC 1893
Dusty emission nebula IC 410 lies about 12,000 light-years away in the northern constellation Auriga . The cloud of glowing gas is over 100 light-years across, sculpted by stellar…
Viewing discoveries from 9 February 2009 through 17 January 2009.