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.
Earthshine and Venus Over Sierra de Guadarrama
What just above that ridge? The Moon. Specifically, the Earth's Moon was caught just above the horizon in a young crescent phase. The familiar Moon might look a bit odd as the…
Unusual Hollows Discovered on Planet Mercury
What are those unusual features on planet Mercury? The slightly bluish tinge of features dubbed hollows has been exaggerated on the above image by the robotic MESSENGER spacecraft…
M82: Galaxy with a Supergalactic Wind
What's lighting up the Cigar Galaxy? M82 , as this irregular galaxy is also known, was stirred up by a recent pass near large spiral galaxy M81 . This doesn't fully explain the…
Barred Spiral Galaxy NGC 1300
Big, beautiful, barred spiral galaxy NGC 1300 lies some 70 million light-years away on the banks of the constellation Eridanus . This Hubble Space Telescope composite view of the…
The New Moon in the Old Moon's Arms
Also known as the Moon's ashen glow, Earthshine is Earthlight illuminating the Moon's night side. Taken on Nowruz , the March 20 equinox, from Esfahan, Iran, planet Earth, this…
Messier 9 Close-up
Renown 18th century astronomer Charles Messier described this 9th entry in his famous astronomical catalog as “Nebula, without star, in the right leg of Ophiuchus ...”. But…
M95 with Supernova
Barred spiral galaxy M95 is about 75,000 light-years across, comparable in size to our own Milky Way and one of the larger galaxies of the Leo I galaxy group . In fact, it is part…
Aurora Over Iceland
If you see a sky like this -- photograph it. Three nights ago in Iceland , an adventurous photographer (pictured) chanced across a sky full of aurora and did just that.…
Evolution of the Moon
What is the history of the Moon? The Moon was likely created from debris expelled when a Mars-sized object violently impacted the Earth about 4.5 billion years ago. Just after…
Sunspot Group 1429 and the Distant Sun
What's that on the Sun ? Over the past two weeks, one of the most energetic sunspot regions of recent years crossed the face of the Sun. Active Region 1429 , visible above as the…
Jupiter and Venus from Earth
It was visible around the world. The sunset conjunction of Jupiter and Venus was visible last week almost no matter where you lived on Earth. Anyone on the planet with a clear…
NGC 2683: Edge-On Spiral Galaxy
This elegant island universe is cataloged as NGC 2683 . It lies a mere 16 million light-years distant toward the northern constellation Lynx . A spiral galaxy comparable to our…
Bright Planets at McMath-Pierce Solar Telescope
Bright planets Venus and Jupiter are framed by the National Solar Observatory's McMath-Pierce Solar Telescope in this very astronomical scene. The photo was taken at Kitt Peak…
Solar Flare in the Gamma-ray Sky
What shines in the gamma-ray sky? The answer is usually the most exotic and energetic of astrophysical environments, like active galaxies powered by supermassive black holes, or…
Angry Sun Erupting
It's one of the baddest sunspot regions in years. Active Region 1429 may not only look, to some, like an angry bird -- it has thrown off some of the most powerful flares and…
The M81 Galaxy Group Through the Integrated Flux Nebula
Large galaxies and faint nebulae highlight this deep image of the M81 Group of galaxies. First and foremost in the wide-angle 12-hour exposure is the grand design spiral galaxy…
The Scale of the Universe - Interactive
What does the universe look like on small scales? On large scales? Humanity is discovering that the universe is a very different place on every proportion that has been explored.…
The Sombrero Galaxy in Infrared
This floating ring is the size of a galaxy. In fact, it is part of the photogenic Sombrero Galaxy , one of the largest galaxies in the nearby Virgo Cluster of Galaxies . The dark…
Lick Observatory Moonrise
As viewed from a well chosen location at sunset , the gorgeous Full Moon rose behind Mount Hamilton, east of San Jose, California on March 7. The lunar disk frames historic Lick…
NGC 1579: Trifid of the North
Colorful NGC 1579 resembles the better known Trifid Nebula, but lies much farther north in planet Earth's sky, in the heroic constellation Perseus . About 2,100 light-years away…
The Seagull Nebula
A broad expanse of glowing gas and dust presents a bird-like visage to astronomers from planet Earth , suggesting its popular moniker - The Seagull Nebula. This portrait of the…
Conjunction Over Reunion Island
You don't have to be on Reunion Island to see this week's planetary conjunction. Only if you want to see this picturesque seascape as well. To see the conjunction from just about…
NGC 2170: Celestial Still Life
Is this a painting or a photograph? In this beautiful celestial still life composed with a cosmic brush, dusty nebula NGC 2170 shines near the image center. Reflecting the light…
Flying Over the Earth at Night
Many wonders are visible when flying over the Earth at night. A compilation of such visual spectacles was captured recently from the International Space Station (ISS) and set to…
Viewing discoveries from 28 March 2012 through 5 March 2012.