Browse NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day archive by date and media: Archive Discoveries
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Warped Spiral Galaxy ESO 510-13
How did spiral galaxy ESO 510-13 get bent out of shape? The disks of many spirals are thin and flat , but not solid. Spiral disks are loose conglomerations of billions of stars…
Another Tail for Comet Garradd
Remarkable comet Garradd (C2009/P1) has come to be known for two distinctive tails. From the perspective of earthbound comet watchers the tails are visible on opposite sides of…
Jupiter Unplugged
Five hand drawn sketches of Jupiter were used to create this beautifully detailed flat map of the ruling gas giant's turbulent cloud tops . Made with colored pencils at the…
Multicolor Venus
Brilliant Venus now shines in western skies at twilight . Seen as the prominent evening star, the planet is a tantalizing celestial beacon even for casual skygazers. Venus can…
Moon and Planets Over Catalonia
Venus and Jupiter will appear unusually close in the sky over the next month. The planetary conjunction will be easily visible to the unaided eye because Venus will appear…
The Opposing Tails of Comet Garradd
Why does Comet Garradd have two tails? Visible on the left, Comet Garradd's dust tail is composed of ice and dust bits that trail the comet in its orbit around the Sun. Visible on…
Shocked by Supernova 1987A
Twenty five years ago, the brightest supernova of modern times was sighted . Over time, astronomers have watched and waited for the expanding debris from this tremendous stellar…
The Mysterious Rings of Supernova 1987A
What's causing those odd rings in supernova 1987A? Twenty five years ago , in 1987, the brightest supernova in recent history was seen in the Large Magellanic Cloud . At the…
Stephan's Quintet
The first identified compact galaxy group, Stephan's Quintet is featured in this eye-catching image constructed with data drawn from the extensive Hubble Legacy Archive . About…
Aurigae Nebulae
Rich in star clusters and nebulae, the ancient constellation of Auriga , the Charioteer, rides high in northern winter night skies. Composed from narrow and broadband filter data…
A Zodiacal Skyscape
Venus and Jupiter are this month's two brightest planets. Shortly after sunset on February 20, they dominate the sky above the western horizon and this snowy landscape. In clear…
A Sailing Stone in Death Valley
How did this big rock end up on this strange terrain? One of the more unusual places here on Earth occurs inside Death Valley , California , USA . There a dried lakebed named…
Anticrepuscular Rays Over Wyoming
What's happening over the horizon? Although the scene may appear somehow supernatural , nothing more unusual is occurring than a setting Sun and some well placed clouds. Pictured…
Barred Spiral Galaxy NGC 1073
Many spiral galaxies have bars across their centers. Even our own Milky Way Galaxy is thought to have a modest central bar . Prominently barred spiral galaxy NGC 1073, pictured…
A Message From Earth
What are these Earthlings trying to tell us? The above message was broadcast from Earth towards the globular star cluster M13 in 1974. During the dedication of the Arecibo…
On the Road to Carina
This rugged road through the dark Atacama Desert seems to lead skyward toward the bright stars and glowing nebulae of the southern Milky Way. If you follow the road you will get…
At the West Wall of Aristarchus Crater
Aristarchus Plateau is anchored in the vast lava flows of the Moon's Oceanus Procellarum . At the plateau's southeastern edge lies the spectacular Aristarchus Crater , an impact…
NGC 5965 and NGC 5963 in Draco
These two spiral galaxies make a photogenic pair, found within the boundaries of the northern constellation Draco . Contrasting in color and orientation, NGC 5965 is nearly…
Merope's Reflection Nebula
Reflection nebulas reflect light from a nearby star. Many small carbon grains in the nebula reflect the light. The blue color typical of reflection nebula is caused by blue light…
The Rosette Nebula
The Rosette Nebula is not the only cosmic cloud of gas and dust to evoke the imagery of flowers -- but it is the most famous. At the edge of a large molecular cloud in Monoceros,…
An Unusual Venusian Oval
Why would Venus appear oval? Venus has been seen countless times from the surface of the Earth, and every time the Earth's atmosphere has dispersed its light to some degree. When…
Orion in Gas, Dust, and Stars
The constellation of Orion holds much more than three stars in a row. A deep exposure shows everything from dark nebula to star clusters, all embedded in an extended patch of…
A February Moon's Halo
Lighting the night last Tuesday, February's Full Moon is sometimes called the Snow Moon. But the Moon was not quite full in this mosaicked skyscape recorded on February 2 south of…
At the Core of NGC 6752
This sharp Hubble Space Telescope view looks deep into NGC 6752 . Some 13,000 light-years away toward the southern constellation Pavo, the globular star cluster roams the halo of…
Viewing discoveries from 4 March 2012 through 10 February 2012.