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.
The M7 Open Star Cluster in Scorpius
M7 is one of the most prominent open clusters of stars on the sky. The cluster, dominated by bright blue stars , can be seen with the naked eye in a dark sky in the tail of the…
The Moons of Earth
While orbiting the planet during their June 1998 mission, the crew of the Space Shuttle Discovery photographed this view of two moons of Earth. Thick storm clouds are visible in…
Cone Nebula Close-Up
Cones, pillars , and majestic flowing shapes abound in stellar nurseries where natal clouds of gas and dust are buffeted by energetic winds from newborn stars. A well-known…
Arp 188 and the Tadpole's Tidal Tail
In this stunning vista recorded with the Hubble Space Telescope's new advanced camera , distant galaxies form a dramatic backdrop for disrupted spiral galaxy Arp 188, the Tadpole…
In the Center of the Omega Nebula
In the depths of the dark clouds of dust and molecular gas known as the Omega Nebula , stars continue to form. The above image from the Hubble Space Telescope 's newly installed…
The Holographic Principle
Is this image worth a thousand words? According to the Holographic Principle , the most information you can get from this image is about 3 x 1065 bits for a normal sized computer…
Dusk of the Planets
A great grouping of planets is now visible to the west just after sunset. Over the next two weeks, Mercury , Venus , Earth , Mars , Jupiter , and Saturn -- the innermost six…
Doomed Star Eta Carinae
Eta Carinae may be about to explode. But no one knows when - it may be next year, it may be one million years from now. Eta Carinae 's mass - about 100 times greater than our Sun…
Hawaii
Aloha ! With the graceful arc of Earth's limb in the background, the Hawaiian Island archipelago is visible in this stunning photo taken by the astronauts onboard the shuttle…
Comet Ikeya-Zhang Meets The ISS
Still catching the Sun's rays, the International Space Station (ISS) cruises across the early evening sky above Tomahawk, Wisconsin, USA. Recorded on April 9 around 9 pm CDT in a…
Southern Cross in Mauna Loa Skies
Gazing across this gorgeous skyscape, the Southern Cross and stars of the constellation Centaurus are seen above the outline of Mauna Loa (Long Mountain), planet Earth's largest…
The Trifid Nebula from AAO
Unspeakable beauty and unimaginable bedlam can be found together in the Trifid Nebula . Also known as M20, this photogenic nebula is visible with good binoculars towards the…
The Newly Expanded International Space Station
What does the developing International Space Station (ISS) look like now? After delivering and deploying a crucial first backbone-like component last week, the Space Shuttle…
Comet and Aurora Over Alaska
Can you spot the comet? Flowing across the frozen Alaskan landscape is an easily visible, colorful aurora. Just to the lower left, however, well in the background, is something…
The Center of Centaurus A
A fantastic jumble of young blue star clusters, gigantic glowing gas clouds, and imposing dark dust lanes surrounds the central region of the active galaxy Centaurus A. This…
Orion Nebula: The 2MASS View
Few astronomical sights excite the imagination like the nearby stellar nursery known as the Orion Nebula . The Nebula's glowing gas surrounds hot young stars at the edge of an…
The Old Moon in the New Moon's Arms
Also known as the Moon's “ashen glow” or “the old Moon in the new Moon's arms”, Earthshine is Earthlight reflected from the Moon's night side. This dramatic image of Earthshine…
Planets in the West
Have you seen any bright planets lately? Chances are if you've been outside under clear skies just after sunset, then you have. Now shining in the west as bright “ stars ” in the…
The Glory
Looking out the window of an airplane, you might be lucky enough to see “the glory” in the direction directly opposite the Sun. Before airplanes , the phenomenon, known to some as…
Millions of Stars in Omega Centauri
Pictured above is the largest ball of stars in our Galaxy . About 10 million stars orbit the center of this globular cluster - named Omega Centauri - as this giant globular…
A New Truss for the International Space Station
The International Space Station (ISS) is being fitted with a backbone . During the present visit of Space Shuttle Atlantis , astronauts are installing a huge truss on the growing…
RX J185635-375: Candidate Quark Star
Is RJX J185635-375 really so small? Previously, this compact star held claim to being the closest neutron star -- only 150 light-years away. Now new observations and analysis…
Pwyll: Icy Crater of Europa
The impact crater Pwyll (a name from Celtic Mythology ) is thought to represent one of the youngest features on the surface of Jupiter's moon Europa . A combination of color and…
A Galaxy is not a Comet
This gorgeous galaxy and comet portrait was recorded on April 5th in the skies over the Oriental Pyrenees near Figueres, Spain . From a site above 1,100 meters, astrophotographer…
Viewing discoveries from 5 May 2002 through 12 April 2002.