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.
Robert Goddard and Nell
Robert H. Goddard , considered the father of modern rocketry, was born in Worcester Massachusetts in 1882. As a 16 year old, Goddard read H.G. Wells' science fiction classic “War…
Hickson 44 in Leo
Scanning the skies for galaxies, Canadian astronomer Paul Hickson and colleagues identified some 100 compact groups of galaxies , now appropriately called Hickson Compact Groups .…
Black Holes and Neutron Stars: 218 Mergers and Counting
What is the sound of two black holes merging in deep space? Sound waves don't propagate in vacuum, but gravitational waves do. In 2015 we were able to “hear” them for the first…
The Guardians of Rapa Nui beneath the Milky Way
In the words of today's astrophotographer, Rositsa Dimitrova, “What have these silent sentinels watched pass across the sky?” The volcanic mo'ai (meaning statue) of Anakena stand…
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A Gravity Map of Earth
Is gravity the same over the surface of the Earth? No -- in some places you will feel slightly heavier than others. The featured Earth map video shows in colors and exaggerated…
Light Pillars and Orion over Mohe
What's happening at the end of that street? Pictured here are not auroras but light pillar s, a phenomenon typically much closer. In most places on Earth , a lucky viewer can see…
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Leaving Earth
What would it look like to leave planet Earth? Such an event was recorded visually in great detail by the MESSENGER spacecraft as it swung back past the Earth in 2005 on its way…
Galaxies in the River: NGC 1300 and NGC 1297
Spiral NGC 1300 and elliptical NGC 1297 are galaxies that lie on the banks of the southern constellation Eridanus (The River) . At 70 million light-years distant or more, both are…
Spring Equinox at Teide Observatory
The defining astronomical moment of the equinox today is at 14:46 UTC (March 20). That's when the Sun crosses the celestial equator moving north in its yearly journey through…
Launch Plume: SpaceX Jellyfish
Even if you live with your head in the clouds , you won’t find a jellyfish like this one very often. The featured image shows a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch from Cape Canaveral…
Cygnus and the Solitary Tree
A lone tree stands in a quiet meadow in Guadalajara, Spain , silhouetted against the Cygnus region rising above like flames in the night sky. This deep night skyscape is a…
The Tadpoles of IC 410
This telescopic close-up shows off the central regions of otherwise faint emission nebula IC 410, captured under backyard skies. Presented in a Hubble color palette, the image…
NGC 1566: The Spanish Dancer Galaxy
If not perfect, then this spiral galaxy is at least one of the most photogenic. An island universe containing billions of stars and situated about 40 million light-years away…
Equinox at the Pyramid of the Feathered Serpent
To see the feathered serpent descend the Mayan pyramid requires exquisite timing. You must visit El Castillo -- in Mexico 's Yucatán Peninsula -- near an equinox . Then, during…
A Year for K2-315b
Want to visit a planet that has 3.14 days in a year? Then plan a trip to K2-315b, an earth-sized planet orbiting around a cool, red, M dwarf star about once every 3.14 days. The…
Toolondo Totality Trails
In this composited night skyscape, stacked exposures trace graceful star trails above Lake Toolondo, Victoria, Australia, planet Earth. Captured while the lunar eclipse of March 3…
A Near-Full Rotation of Uranus
For the first timewe are witnessing outer planetUranus take center stage andpirouette.Uranus is one of the Solar System’s strangest planets, lying on its side and spinning like a…
CG 4: The Globule and the Galaxy
Is this a cosmic monster ready to devour an unsuspecting galaxy? Thankfully, that is not the case. The red “monster” shown in the featured image is Cometary Globule CG 4 , 1,300…
Sky Glows over Paranal Observatory
Are lasers from giant telescopes being used to defend the Earth? No. Lasers shot from telescopes are now commonly used to help increase the accuracy of astronomical observations.…
The Cranium Nebula from the Webb Telescope
What's going on inside the head of this nebula? Dubbed the Exposed Cranium Nebula for its similarity to the human brain , what created the nebula remains a mystery. One thought is…
The Aurora Tree
Yes, but can your tree do this? Pictured is a visual coincidence between the dark branches of a nearby tree and bright glow of a distant aurora. The beauty of the aurora --…
Two Eclipses of Saros 133
Centered on maximum eclipse, these two total lunar eclipse sequences look almost identical. Yet the one shown on top is composed of images recorded in February 2008, while at the…
The Astrosphere of HD 61005
Do young stars blow bubbles? The larger view shows a stellar field observed with the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile, and the inset highlights HD 61005 , a star…
Total Lunar Eclipse over Tsé Bit'a'í
Earlier this week, Earth’s shadow swept across the full Moon in the year’s only total lunar eclipse . This stunning sequence combines images showing the Moon’s path across the…
Viewing discoveries from 28 March 2026 through 5 March 2026.