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.
Symbiotic R Aquarii
Variable star R Aquarii is actually an interacting binary star system, two stars that seem to have a close symbiotic relationship. Centered in this space-based optical/x-ray…
Moons at Twilight
Even though Jupiter was the only planet visible in the evening sky on February 2, it shared the twilight above the western horizon with the Solar System's brightest moons . In a…
Embraced by Sunlight
Even though Venus (left) was the brightest planet in the sky it was less than 1/30th the apparent size of the Moon on January 29. But as both rose before the Sun they shared a…
The Galactic Center in Radio from MeerKAT
What's happening at the center of our galaxy? It's hard to tell with optical telescopes since visible light is blocked by intervening interstellar dust. In other bands of light,…
Moon Phases 2022
What will the Moon phase be on your birthday this year? It is hard to predict because the Moon's appearance changes nightly. As the Moon orbits the Earth, the half illuminated by…
Carina Nebula North
The Great Carina Nebula is home to strange stars and iconic nebulas. Named for its home constellation , the huge star-forming region is larger and brighter than the Great Orion…
A Solar Prominence from SOHO
How can gas float above the Sun? Twisted magnetic fields arching from the solar surface can trap ionized gas, suspending it in huge looping structures. These majestic plasma…
The Fornax Cluster of Galaxies
Named for the southern constellation toward which most of its galaxies can be found, the Fornax Cluster is one of the closest clusters of galaxies. About 62 million light-years…
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…
South of Orion
South of the large star-forming region known as the Orion Nebula, lies bright blue reflection nebula NGC 1999 . At the edge of the Orion molecular cloud complex some 1,500…
Stars, Dust, and Gas Near Antares
Why is the sky near Antares and Rho Ophiuchi so dusty yet colorful? The colors result from a mixture of objects and processes. Fine dust -- illuminated from the front by starlight…
Video: Comet Leonard over One Hour
Which direction is this comet heading? Judging by the tail, one might imagine that Comet Leonard) is traveling towards the bottom right, but a full 3D analysis shows it traveling…
Rigel and the Witch Head Nebula
By starlight this eerie visage shines in the dark, a crooked profile evoking its popular name, the Witch Head Nebula . In fact, this entrancing telescopic portrait gives the…
Saturn, Tethys, Rings, and Shadows
Seen from ice moon Tethys , rings and shadows would display fantastic views of the Saturnian system. Haven't dropped in on Tethys lately? Then this gorgeous ringscape from the…
The Full Moon and the Dancer
On Monday, January's Full Moon rose as the Sun set. Spotted near the eastern horizon, its warm hues are seen in this photo taken near Cagliari, capital city of the Italian island…
Young Star Jet MHO 2147
Laser guide stars and adaptive optics sharpened this stunning ground-based image of stellar jets from the Gemini South Observatory , Chilean Andes, planet Earth. These twin…
NGC 7822 in Cepheus
Hot, young stars and cosmic pillars of gas and dust seem to crowd into NGC 7822. At the edge of a giant molecular cloud toward the northern constellation Cepheus, the glowing star…
M31: The Andromeda Galaxy
The most distant object easily visible to the unaided eye is M31 , the great Andromeda Galaxy . Even at some two and a half million light-year s distant, this immense spiral…
From Orion to the Southern Cross
This is a sky filled with glowing icons. On the far left is the familiar constellation of Orion , divided by its iconic three-aligned belt stars and featuring the famous Orion…
Chamaeleon Dark Nebulas
Sometimes the dark dust of interstellar space has an angular elegance. Such is the case toward the far-south constellation of Chamaeleon . Normally too faint to see , dark dust is…
A Retreating Thunderstorm at Sunset
What type of cloud is that? This retreating cumulonimbus cloud , more commonly called a thundercloud, is somewhat unusual as it contains the unusual bumpiness of a mammatus cloud…
Galileo's Europa
Looping through the Jovian system in the late 1990s, the Galileo spacecraft recorded stunning views of Europa and uncovered evidence that the moon's icy surface likely hides a…
NGC 1566: The Spanish Dancer Spiral Galaxy
An island universe of billions of stars, NGC 1566 lies about 60 million light-years away in the southern constellation Dorado . Popularly known as the Spanish Dancer galaxy, it's…
Supernova Remnant Simeis 147
It's easy to get lost following the intricate, looping, twisting filaments in this detailed image of supernova remnant Simeis 147. Also cataloged as Sharpless 2-240 it goes by the…
Viewing discoveries from 5 February 2022 through 13 January 2022.