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.
Three Worlds for TRAPPIST-1
Three new found worlds orbit the ultracool dwarf star TRAPPIST-1 , a mere 40 light-years away. Their transits were first detected by the Belgian robotic TRA nsiting P lanets and P…
NGC 7023: The Iris Nebula
These cosmic clouds have blossomed 1,300 light-years away, in the fertile starfields of the constellation Cepheus . Called the Iris Nebula, NGC 7023 is not the only nebula to…
The SONG and the Hunter
Near first quarter, the Moon in March lights this snowy, rugged landscape, a view across the top of Tenerife toward La Palma in the Canary Islands Spanish archipelago. The large…
A Mercury Transit Sequence
This coming Monday, Mercury will cross the face of the Sun , as seen from Earth. Called a transit , the last time this happened was in 2006 . Because the plane of Mercury's orbit…
Aurora over Sweden
It was bright and green and stretched across the sky. This striking aurora display was captured last month just outside of stersund , Sweden . Six photographic fields were merged…
Crossing Mars
Where is NASA's rover Curiosity going on Mars? Its geographical goals are on the slopes of Mount Sharp , whose peak is seen in the background on the right. A key scientific goal ,…
Contemplating the Sun
Have you contemplated your home star recently? Featured here, a Sun partially eclipsed on the top left by the Moon is also seen eclipsed by earthlings contemplating the eclipse…
Moon over Makemake
Makemake , second brightest dwarf planet of the Kuiper belt , has a moon. Nicknamed MK2, Makemake's moon reflects sunlight with a charcoal-dark surface, about 1,300 times fainter…
Fermi's Gamma-ray Moon
If you could only see gamma-rays, photons with up to a billion or more times the energy of visible light, the Moon would be brighter than the Sun! That startling notion underlies…
A Dust Angel Nebula
The combined light of stars along the Milky Way are reflected by these cosmic dust clouds that soar some 300 light-years or so above the plane of our galaxy. Dubbed the Angel…
Omega Centauri: The Brightest Globular Star Cluster
This huge ball of stars predates our Sun. Long before humankind evolved, before dinosaurs roamed , and even before our Earth existed, ancient globs of stars condensed and orbited…
NGC 6872: A Stretched Spiral Galaxy
What makes this spiral galaxy so long? Measuring over 700,000 light years across from top to bottom, NGC 6872 , also known as the Condor galaxy, is one of the most elongated…
Supernova Remnant Simeis 147: The Spaghetti Nebula
It's easy to get lost following the intricate strands of the Spaghetti Nebula. A supernova remnant cataloged as Simeis 147 and Sh2-240, the glowing gas filaments cover nearly 3…
M16: Pillars of Star Creation
Newborn stars are forming in the Eagle Nebula. This image , taken with the Hubble Space Telescope in 1995, shows evaporating gaseous globules (EGGs) emerging from pillars of…
Milky Way in Moonlight
A waning crescent moon, early morning twilight, and Al Hamra's city lights on the horizon can't hide the central Milky Way in this skyscape from planet Earth. Captured in a single…
NGC 7635: 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 .…
The Comet, the Owl, and the Galaxy
Comet C/2014 S2 (PanSTARRS) poses for a Messier moment in this telescopic snapshot from April 18. In fact it shares the 1.5 degree wide field-of-view with two well-known entries…
Galaxy Einstein Ring
Can one galaxy hide behind another? Not in the case of SDP.81 . Here the foreground galaxy, shown in blue in an image taken by the Hubble Space Telescope , acts like a huge…
Andromeda on the Rocks
How far can you see? The Andromeda Galaxy 2.5 million light years away is the most distant object easily seen by the unaided eye. Other apparent denizens of the night sky, stars,…
The International Space Station over Earth
The International Space Station is the largest object ever constructed by humans in space. The station perimeter extends over roughly the area of a football field , although only…
Asperatus Clouds Over New Zealand
What kind of clouds are these? Although their cause is presently unknown, such unusual atmospheric structures, as menacing as they might seem, do not appear to be harbingers of…
Heliopause Electrostatic Rapid Transit System
Want to take a fast trip to the edge of the Solar System? Consider a ride on a Heliopause Electrostatic Rapid Transit System (HERTS). The concept is currently being tested and it…
Mercury and Crescent Moon Set
Innermost planet Mercury and a thin crescent Moon are never found far from the Sun in planet Earth's skies. Taken near dusk on April 8 , this colorful evening skyscape shows them…
Full Venus and Crescent Moon Rise
Inner planet Venus and a thin crescent Moon are never found far from the Sun in planet Earth's skies. Taken near dawn on April 6, this timelapse composite shows them both rising…
Viewing discoveries from 7 May 2016 through 14 April 2016.