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.
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Simulation TNG50: A Galaxy Cluster Forms
How do clusters of galaxies form? Since our universe moves too slowly to watch, faster-moving computer simulations are created to help find out. One famous effort is TNG50 from…
Tranquility and Serenity
The Seas of Tranquility and Serenity are calm today. They're calm most every day though, since they are actually lunar maria, ancient lava flows filling in large impact basins on…
RCW 86: Historical Supernova Remnant
In 185 AD, Chinese astronomers recorded the appearance of a new star in the Nanmen asterism. That part of the sky is identified with part of the southern constellation Centaurus…
The Large Magellanic Cloud
Have you ever seen another galaxy with your own eyes? The featured image shows the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), one of the closest neighbors of our Milky Way. If you are anywhere…
The Corona Australis Molecular Cloud and the Chandelier Cluster
Explanation: The Southern Crown (Corona Australis) dazzles with young and ancient celestial jewels. The Corona Australis Cloud is a collage of reflection and emission nebulae on…
Turtle Rock on Mars
Is this a fossilized turtle on Mars? No. Although resembling a large Earth tortoise , this is a layered rock outcrop on Mars that is estimated to span about 15 meters, making it…
NGC 3576: The Statue of Liberty Nebula
What's happening in the Statue of Liberty nebula? Bright stars and interesting molecules are forming and being liberated . The complex nebula resides in the star forming region…
Flying Saucer Crash Lands in Utah Desert
A flying saucer from outer space crash-landed in the Utah desert after being tracked by radar and chased by helicopters. The year was 2004, and no space aliens were involved. The…
Shadow and Rainbow
At sunset, an alignment of rainbow and mountain shadow was captured in this remarkable snapshot. The stunning view was recorded from a fire lookout on Smith Peak in the Plumas…
The Dust Trail of Comet Tempel 2
Comet 10P/Tempel 2 orbits the Sun once every 5.4 years. Currently visible in binoculars or small telescopes toward the constellation Capricornus, the periodic comet is captured in…
NGC 300: A Cosmic Gemstone with Stars and Gas Clouds
This sparkling, colorful gemstone is a spiral galaxy, NGC 300 . It is one of the closest spiral galaxies to Earth, only about 6 million light-years away. But does it really look…
Gigantic Jet Over the Tatacoa Desert
Is there an angry Sith using force lightning in the Tatacoa Desert ? This is not science fiction, but a gigantic jet with multiple red streamers ! Ordinary lightning occurs when…
Double Lobed Asteroid Torifune
Why is this asteroid a double? Earlier this month the Japan ese robotic spacecraft Hayabusa2 shot past asteroid 98943 Torifune and captured pictures . Although previous…
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Auroras from Space
What do auroras look like from above? Behold! From the ground, auroras dance high above clouds , frequently causing spectacular displays . From space, they look a bit different.…
Galaxy NGC 474: Shells and Star Streams
What's happening to galaxy NGC 474 ? The multiple layers of emission appear strangely complex given the relatively featureless appearance of the elliptical galaxy in less deep…
Messier 24: Sagittarius Star Cloud
Unlike most entries in Charles Messier's famous catalog of deep sky objects, M24 is not a bright galaxy, star cluster, or nebula. It's a gap in nearby, obscuring interstellar dust…
Western Moon, Eastern Sea
The Mare Orientale , Latin for Eastern Sea, is one of the most striking large scale lunar features. The youngest of the large lunar impact basins it's very difficult to see from…
The Red Glow of the Cosmic Bat Nebula
This Cosmic Bat wishes you a happy Summerween ! This mid-year celebration of Halloween transcends hemispheres, even though summer in the Northern hemisphere is winter in the…
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Swift Boost Mission
Sometimes we can all use a little help from a friend . NASA 's Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory needs a boost to stay in orbit after almost 22 years of service. This video shows an…
NGC 6188: Dragons of Ara
Where can you find dragons fighting in the night sky? In the southern constellation of the Altar: Ara . The dragons are, of course, actually made of suggestively shaped gas and…
Dueling Bands over the Atacama Desert
What are these two bands in the sky? The more commonly seen band is on the left and is the central band of our Milky Way galaxy . Our Sun orbits in the disk of this spiral galaxy…
Saturn's Iapetus: Painted Moon
What has happened to Saturn's moon Iapetus? Vast sections of this strange world are dark as coal , while others are as bright as snow . To help better understand this unusually…
Pathfinder on Mars
On July 4th , 1997, using its own array of fireworks , a parachute, and a cocoon of airbags, the Mars Pathfinder spacecraft bounced like a giant beach ball at least 15 times…
Three Galaxies in Pavo
Some 190 million light-years away, far beyond the bright stars and nebulae of the Milky Way, these three galaxies are drawn together by gravity in a mesmerizing cosmic dance .…
Viewing discoveries from 26 July 2026 through 3 July 2026.