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.
Phobos 360
What does the Martian moon Phobos look like? To better visualize this unusual object), images from ESA's Mars Express orbiter have been combined into a virtual rotation movie. The…
Sharpless 308: Star Bubble
Blown by fast winds from a hot, massive star, this cosmic bubble is huge. Cataloged as Sharpless 2-308 it lies some 5,200 light-years away toward the constellation of the Big Dog…
Geminid Meteors over Chile
From a radiant point in the constellation of the Twins, the annual Geminid meteor shower rained down on planet Earth over the past few weeks. Recorded near the shower's peak over…
Tutulemma: Solar Eclipse Analemma
If you went outside at exactly the same time every day and took a picture that included the Sun, how would the Sun's position change? With great planning and effort, such a series…
SDO's Multiwavelength Sun
Today, the solstice is at 17:11 Universal Time, the Sun reaching the southernmost declination in its yearly journey through planet Earth's sky. The December solstice marks the…
Titan's Land of Lakes
Saturn's large moon Titan would be unique in our solar system, the only world with stable liquid lakes and seas on its surface ... except for planet Earth of course. Centered on…
A Colorful Moon
The Moon is normally seen in subtle shades of grey or yellow. But small, measurable color differences have been greatly exaggerated to make this telescopic, multicolored,…
Light Pillars over Finland
What's happening behind those houses? Pictured above are not aurora but nearby light pillars , a local phenomenon that can appear as a distant one. In most places on Earth, a…
Geminid Meteors over Teide Volcano
On some nights it rains meteors. Peaking two nights ago, asteroid dust streaked through the dark skies of Earth, showering down during the annual Geminids meteor shower .…
Yutu Rover Rolls onto the Moon
A new desk-sized rover has begun exploring the Moon. Launched two weeks ago by the Chinese National Space Administration , the Chang'e 3 spacecraft landed on the Moon yesterday…
Gibbous Europa
Although the phase of this moon might appear familiar, the moon itself might not. In fact, this gibbous phase shows part of Jupiter 's moon Europa . The robot spacecraft Galileo…
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 .…
Geminid Meteor Shower over Dashanbao Wetlands
The annual Geminid meteor shower is raining down on planet Earth this week. Despite the waxing gibbous moonlight, the reliable Geminids should be enjoyable tonight (night of…
Alnitak, Alnilam, Mintaka
Alnitak , Alnilam , and Mintaka , are the bright bluish stars from east to west (lower right to upper left) along the diagonal in this gorgeous cosmic vista. Otherwise known as…
The Coldest Place on Earth
How cold can it get on Earth? In the interior of the Antarctica , a record low temperature of -93.2 C (-135.8 F) has been recorded. This is about 25 C (45 F ) colder than the…
Seyfert's Sextet
What will survive this battle of the galaxies? Known as Seyfert's Sextet , this intriguing group of galaxies lies in the head portion of the split constellation of the Snake (…
Comet Lovejoy Over a Windmill
Lovejoy continues to be an impressive camera comet. Pictured above, Comet C/2013 R1 (Lovejoy) was imaged above the windmill in Saint-Michel-l'Observatoire in southern France with…
Everest Panorama from Mars
If you could stand on Mars -- what might you see? Scroll right to find out. The robotic Spirit rover that rolled around Mars from 2004 to 2009 Mars climbed to the top of a hill in…
Naked Eye Nova Centauri 2013
Brightest stellar beacons of the constellation Centaurus, Alpha and Beta Centauri are easy to spot from the southern hemisphere. For now, so is new naked eye Nova Centauri 2013 .…
Gamma-Ray Earth and Sky
For an Earth-orbiting gamma-ray telescope, Earth is actually the brightest source of gamma-rays , the most energetic form of light. Gamma-rays from Earth are produced when high…
Planetary Nebula Abell 7
Very faint planetary nebula Abell 7 is some 1,800 light-years distant, just south of Orion in planet Earth's skies in the constellation Lepus, The Hare . Surrounded by Milky Way…
Comet Lovejoy through Mrby Castle Ruins
This new comet is quite photogenic. Comet Lovejoy, discovered only three months ago, was imaged through ruins of ancient Mrby Castle in Sweden last week sporting a green-glowing…
The Colorful Clouds of Rho Ophiuchi
The many spectacular colors of the Rho Ophiuchi (oh'-fee-yu-kee) clouds highlight the many processes that occur there. The blue regions shine primarily by reflected light. Blue…
Comet Lovejoy Before Galaxy M63
Comet Lovejoy was captured last week passing well in front of spiral galaxy M63. Discovered only three months ago and currently near its maximum brightness, Comet Lovejoy can be…
Viewing discoveries from 25 December 2013 through 2 December 2013.