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.
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…
Orion in Red and Blue
When did Orion become so flashy? This colorful rendition of part of the constellation of Orion comes from red light emitted by hydrogen and sulfur ( SII ), and blue-green light…
Combined Solar Eclipse Corona from Earth and Space
Sometimes, a total eclipse is a good time to eye the Sun. Taking advantage of an unusual juxtaposition of Earth, Moon and Sun , the featured image depicts the total solar eclipse…
The Comet and the Star Cluster
Comet Linear has become unexpectedly bright. The comet, discovered in 2000, underwent a 100-fold outburst just a week before it passed a mere 14 lunar distances from Earth late…
Cassini Approaches Saturn
Cassini, a robot spacecraft launched in 1997 by NASA , became close enough in 2002 to resolve many rings and moons of its destination planet: Saturn . At that time, Cassini…
A Green Flash of Spring
Taken on March 20 from the top of Haleakala on the isle of Maui, planet Earth, the first sunrise of northern spring is pictured in this vacation snapshot. The telephoto view from…
Lapland Northern Lights
Early spring in the northern hemisphere is good season for aurora hunters. Near an equinox Earth's magnetic field is oriented to favor interactions with the solar wind that…
Wolf-Lundmark-Melotte
Named for the three astronomers instrumental in its discovery and identification, Wolf - Lundmark - Melotte (WLM) is a lonely dwarf galaxy. Seen toward the mostly southern…
Auroras and the Magnetosphere of Jupiter
Jupiter has auroras. Like near the Earth, the magnetic field of our Solar System 's largest planet compresses when impacted by a gust of charged particles from the Sun . This…
Cancri 55 e: Climate Patterns on a Lava World
Why might you want to visit super-earth Cancri 55 e? Its extremely hot climate would be a deterrent, and fresh lava flows might be common. Discovered in 2004, the planet Cancri 55…
Lucid Dreaming
Is this the real world? Or is it just fantasy ? The truth started with a dream -- a dream that the spectacular Seljarlandsfoss waterfall in southern Iceland could be photographed…
Close-up of the Bubble Nebula
It's the bubble versus the cloud. NGC 7635, the Bubble Nebula , is being pushed out by the stellar wind of massive central star BD+602522 . Next door, though, lives a giant…
Pluto's Bladed Terrain in 3D
Get out your red/blue glasses and gaze across a mountainous region informally known as Tartarus Dorsa. This scene sprawls some 300 kilometers (about 180 miles) across the…
Europa: Discover Life Under the Ice
Looking for an interplanetary vacation destination? Consider a visit to Europa , one of the Solar System's most tantalizing moons . Ice-covered Europa follows an elliptical path…
Viewing discoveries from 24 April 2016 through 1 April 2016.