Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
written by a professional astronomer.

2026 February 9
An unusual gray body looks like a more jaggged version of the Earth's
moon, but close up. Craters and stripes run across much of the surface.
Please see the explanation for more detailed information.

Miranda Revisited
Image Credit: NASA, JPL, Voyager 2; Processing & License: Flickr:
zelario12; Text: Keighley Rockcliffe (NASA GSFC, UMBC CSST, CRESST II)

Explanation: What is Miranda really like? Visually, old images from
NASA's Voyager 2 have been recently combined and remastered to result
in the featured image of Uranus's 500-kilometer-wide moon. In the late
1980s, Voyager 2 flew by Uranus, coming close to the cratered,
fractured, and unusually grooved moon -- named after a character from
ShakespeareCÇÖs The Tempest. Scientifically, planetary scientists are
using old data and clear images to theorize anew about what shaped
Miranda's severe surface features. A leading hypothesis is that
Miranda, beneath its icy surface, may have once hosted an expansive
liquid water ocean which may be slowly freezing. Thanks to the legacy
of Voyager 2, Miranda has joined the ranks of Europa, Titan, and other
icy moons in the search for water, and, possibly, microbial life, in
our Solar System.

Jigsaw Moon: Astronomy Puzzle of the Day
Tomorrow's picture: swirling sky
__________________________________________________________________

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
NASA Official: Amber Straughn Specific rights apply.
NASA Web Privacy, Accessibility, Notices;
A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC,
NASA Science Activation
& Michigan Tech. U.

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Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
written by a professional astronomer.

2026 February 10
A person with the arms raised stands atop of a rock peak covered in
snow. Snow covered mountains are all around. Green aurora swirl
overhead and reflect off the snow. Please see the explanation for more
detailed information.

In Green Company: Aurora over Norway
Image Credit & Copyright: Max Rive

Explanation: Raise your arms if you see an aurora. With those
instructions, two nights went by with, well, clouds -- mostly. On the
third night of returning to same peaks, though, the sky not only
cleared up but lit up with a spectacular auroral display. Arms went
high in the air, patience and experience paid off, and the creative
featured image was captured as a composite from three separate
exposures. The setting is a summit of the Austnesfjorden (a fjord)
close to the town of Svolvear on the Lofoten islands in northern
Norway. The year was 2014. This year, our Sun is just passing solar
maximum, the peak in its 11-year surface activity cycle. As expected,
some spectacular auroras have recently resulted.

Portal Universe: Random APOD Generator
Tomorrow's picture: sun spotted
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Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
NASA Official: Amber Straughn Specific rights apply.
NASA Web Privacy, Accessibility, Notices;
A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC,
NASA Science Activation
& Michigan Tech. U.

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Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
written by a professional astronomer.

2026 February 11
An image of the Sun is surrounded by 12 smaller Sun images. Each
surrounding image has some spots on it, but the large central image has
the most dark spots. Please see the explanation for more detailed
information.

A Year of Sunspots
Image Credit: NASA, SDO; Processing & Copyright: +Penol +Panli & U-fur
-#kizler; Text: Cecilia Chirenti (NASA GSFC, UMCP, CRESST II)

Explanation: How many sunspots can you see? The central image shows the
many sunspots that occurred in 2025, month by month around the circle,
and all together in the grand central image. Each sunspot is
magnetically cooled and so appears dark -- and can last from days to
months. Although the featured images originated from NASA's Solar
Dynamics Observatory, sunspots can be easily seen with a small
telescope or binoculars equipped with a solar filter. Very large
sunspot groups like recent AR 4366 can even be seen with eclipse
glasses. Sunspots are still counted by eye, but the total number is not
considered exact because they frequently change and break up. Last
year, 2025, coincided with a solar maximum, the period of most intense
magnetic activity during its 11-year solar cycle. Our Sun remains
unpredictable in many ways, including when it ejects solar flares that
will impact the Earth, and how active the next solar cycle will be.

Tomorrow's picture: open space
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Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
NASA Official: Amber Straughn Specific rights apply.
NASA Web Privacy, Accessibility, Notices;
A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC,
NASA Science Activation
& Michigan Tech. U.

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Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
written by a professional astronomer.

2026 February 12

The Bay of Rainbows
Image Credit & Copyright: Olaf Filzinger

Explanation: Dark, smooth regions that cover the Moon's familiar face
are called by Latin names for oceans and seas. That naming convention
is historical, though it may seem a little ironic to denizens of the
space age who recognize the Moon as a mostly dry and airless world, and
the smooth, dark areas as lava-flooded impact basins. For example, this
telescopic lunar vista, looks over the expanse of the northwestern Mare
Imbrium, or Sea of Rains and into the Sinus Iridum, the Bay of
Rainbows. Ringed by the Jura Mountains (montes), the bay is about 250
kilometers across. Seen after local sunrise, the mountains form part of
the Sinus Iridum impact crater wall. Their rugged sunlit arc is bounded
at the top by Cape (promontorium) Laplace reaching nearly 3,000 meters
above the bay's surface. At the bottom of the arc is Cape Heraclides,
depicted by Giovanni Cassini in his 1679 telescope-based drawings
mapping the moon as a moon maiden seen in profile with long, flowing
hair.

Tomorrow's picture: friends of Andromeda
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Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
NASA Official: Amber Straughn Specific rights apply.
NASA Web Privacy, Accessibility, Notices;
A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC,
NASA Science Activation
& Michigan Tech. U.

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Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
written by a professional astronomer.

2026 February 13

NGC 147 and NGC 185
Image Credit & Copyright: Chuck Ayoub

Explanation: Dwarf galaxies NGC 147 (left) and NGC 185 stand side by
side in this deep telescopic portrait. The two are not-often-imaged
satellite galaxies of M31, the great spiral Andromeda Galaxy, some 2.5
million light-years away. Their separation on the sky, less than one
degree across a pretty field of view toward the constellation
Cassiopeia, translates to only about 35 thousand light-years at
Andromeda's distance, but Andromeda itself is found well outside this
frame. Brighter and more famous satellite galaxies of Andromeda, M32
and M110, are seen much closer to the great spiral. NGC 147 and NGC 185
have been identified as binary galaxies, forming a gravitationally
stable binary system. But recently discovered faint dwarf galaxy
Cassiopeia II also seems to be part of their system, forming a
gravitationally bound group within Andromeda's intriguing population of
small satellite galaxies.

Tomorrow's picture: floral arrangement
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Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
NASA Official: Amber Straughn Specific rights apply.
NASA Web Privacy, Accessibility, Notices;
A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC,
NASA Science Activation
& Michigan Tech. U.

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Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
written by a professional astronomer.

2026 February 14

Roses are Red
Image Credit & Copyright: Raffaele Calcagno
Text: Keighley Rockcliffe (NASA GSFC, UMBC CSST, CRESST II)

Explanation: Roses are red, nebulas are too, and this Valentine's gift
is a stunning view! Pictured is a loving look at the Rosette Nebula
(NGC 2237): a cosmic bloom of bright young stars sitting atop a stem of
glowing hot gas. The roseCÇÖs blue-white speckles are among the most
luminous stars in the galaxy, with some burning millions of times
brighter than the Sun. Their stellar winds sculpt the famed rose shape
by pushing gas and dust away from the center. Though only a few million
years old, these massive stars are already nearing the end of their
lives, while dimmer stars embedded in the nebula will burn for billions
of years to come. The vibrant red hue comes from hydrogen gas, ionized
by the ultraviolet light from the young stars. The roseCÇÖs blue-white
center is color-mapped to indicate the presence of similarly ionized
oxygen. The Rosette Nebula reminds us of the beauty and transformation
woven into the fabric of the universe.

Tomorrow's picture: flying free
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Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
NASA Official: Amber Straughn Specific rights apply.
NASA Web Privacy, Accessibility, Notices;
A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC,
NASA Science Activation
& Michigan Tech. U.

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Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
written by a professional astronomer.

2026 February 16
A star field shows colorful pill-shaped nebula extending from the
bottom left toward the upper right. Colors include, from the outside
in, red, green, and blue. Please see the explanation for more detailed
information.

Unexplained Shocks Around a White Dwarf Star
Image Credit: ESO, K. I+ékiewicz & S. Scaringi et al.;
Text: Cecilia Chirenti (NASA GSFC, UMCP, CRESST II)

Explanation: How is RXJ0528+2838 creating such shock waves? A recently
discovered white dwarf star, the farther left of the two largest white
spots, RXJ0528+2838, was found 730 light-years away from Earth. Most
stars, when done fusing nuclei in their cores for energy, become red
giant stars, the cores of which live on as faint dense white dwarfs
that slowly cool down for the rest of time. White dwarfs are so dense
that the only thing that stops them from collapsing further is quantum
mechanics. In about 5 billion years, our Sun will become a white dwarf,
too. The featured image, obtained with the European Southern
ObservatoryCÇÖs Very Large Telescope, shows unexplained bow shocks around
RXJ0528+2838, similar to the bow wave of water around a fast-moving
ship. Astronomers donCÇÖt yet know what is powering these shocks, which
have existed for at least 1,000 years. The red, green and blue colors
represent trace amounts of glowing hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen gas.

Open Science: Browse 3,900+ codes in the Astrophysics Source Code
Library
Tomorrow's picture: passing comet
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Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
NASA Official: Amber Straughn Specific rights apply.
NASA Web Privacy, Accessibility, Notices;
A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC,
NASA Science Activation
& Michigan Tech. U.

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Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
written by a professional astronomer.

2026 February 15
An astronaut is seen hovering over the Earth. In the top part of the
image, the astronaut is seen against the darkness of space. In the
lower part of the image, the Earth is bright blue with white clouds.
Please see the explanation for more detailed information.

To Fly Free in Space
Image Credit: NASA, STS-41B

Explanation: What would it be like to fly free in space? About 100
meters from the cargo bay of a space shuttle, Bruce McCandless II was
living the dream -- floating farther out than anyone had ever been
before. Guided by a Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU), astronaut
McCandless, pictured, was floating free in space. During Space Shuttle
mission 41-B in 1984, McCandless and fellow NASA astronaut Robert
Stewart were the first to experience such an "untethered space walk".
The MMU worked by shooting jets of nitrogen and was used to help deploy
and retrieve satellites. With a mass over 140 kilograms, an MMU is
heavy on Earth, but, like everything, is weightless when drifting in
orbit. The MMU was later replaced with the SAFER backpack propulsion
unit.

Tomorrow's picture: unexplained shocks
__________________________________________________________________

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
NASA Official: Amber Straughn Specific rights apply.
NASA Web Privacy, Accessibility, Notices;
A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC,
NASA Science Activation
& Michigan Tech. U.

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Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
written by a professional astronomer.

2026 February 17
A star field shows a bright comet with its head on the lower left and
tails extending toward the upper right. A background galaxy is visible
on the far right. Please see the explanation for more detailed
information.

Tails of Comet Wierzcho+ø
Image Credit & Copyright: Jos+¬ J. Chamb+|;
Text: Cecilia Chirenti (NASA GSFC, UMCP, CRESST II)

Explanation: Some comets are regular guests of our solar neighborhood;
others come by only once, never to return. We wonCÇÖt have another chance
to see Comet C/2024 E1 (Wierzcho+ø), which is currently making its way
through the inner Solar System. The hyperbolic orbit of this comet
indicates that it will likely become an interstellar traveler. Comet
Wierzcho+ø is today near its closest approach to the Earth, passing
roughly the same distance from the Earth as is the Sun. The featured
30-minute exposure was taken last week in Chile and shows a 5-degree
long ion tail as well as three shorter dust tails. The green hue of the
coma comes from the breakdown of dicarbon molecules by sunlight, but
that process does not last long enough to also tinge the tails. On the
far right lies a spiral galaxy far in the distance: NGC 300.

Tomorrow's picture: cradle alpha
__________________________________________________________________

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
NASA Official: Amber Straughn Specific rights apply.
NASA Web Privacy, Accessibility, Notices;
A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC,
NASA Science Activation
& Michigan Tech. U.

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Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
written by a professional astronomer.

2026 February 18
A starfield is shown filled with red glowing gas. On the right is a
blue-glowing complex nebula, while on the left there is a long
encircling arc of red gas. Please see the explanation for more detailed
information.

Orion's Cradle
Image Credit & Copyright: Piotr Czerski

Explanation: Cradled in red-glowing hydrogen gas, stars are being born
in Orion. These stellar nurseries lie at the edge of the giant Orion
molecular cloud complex, some 1,500 light-years away. This detailed
view spans about 12 degrees across the center of the well-known
constellation, with the Great Orion Nebula, the closest large
star-forming region, visible toward the lower right. The deep mosaic
also includes, near the top center, the Flame Nebula and the Horsehead
Nebula. Image data acquired with a hydrogen-alpha filter adds other
remarkable features to this wide-angle cosmic vista: pervasive tendrils
of energized atomic hydrogen gas and portions of the surrounding
Barnard's Loop. While the Orion Nebula and many stars in Orion are easy
to see with the unaided eye, emission from the extensive interstellar
gas is faint and much harder to record, even in telescopic views of the
nebula-rich complex.

Sky Surprise: What picture did APOD feature on your birthday? (after
1995)
Tomorrow's picture: open space
__________________________________________________________________

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
NASA Official: Amber Straughn Specific rights apply.
NASA Web Privacy, Accessibility, Notices;
A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC,
NASA Science Activation
& Michigan Tech. U.

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* Origin: The Rusty MailBox - Penticton, BC Canada (1:153/757)

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
written by a professional astronomer.

2026 February 19

IC 2574: Coddington's Nebula
Image Credit & Copyright: Dane Vetter

Explanation: Grand spiral galaxies often seem to get all the glory,
flaunting their young, bright, blue star clusters in beautiful,
symmetric spiral arms. But small, irregular galaxies form stars too. In
fact, dwarf galaxy IC 2574 shows clear evidence of intense star forming
activity in its telltale reddish regions of glowing hydrogen gas. Just
as in spiral galaxies, the turbulent star-forming regions in IC 2574
are churned by stellar winds and supernova explosions spewing material
into the galaxy's interstellar medium and triggering further star
formation. A mere 12 million light-years distant, IC 2574 is part of
the M81 group of galaxies, seen toward the northern constellation Ursa
Major. Also known as Coddington's Nebula, the faint but intriguing
island universe is about 50,000 light-years across, discovered by
American astronomer Edwin Coddington in 1898.

Tomorrow's picture: in the dark
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Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
NASA Official: Amber Straughn Specific rights apply.
NASA Web Privacy, Accessibility, Notices;
A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC,
NASA Science Activation
& Michigan Tech. U.

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Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
written by a professional astronomer.

2026 February 20
A starfield with a light, orange-tinged background has a dark nebula
that looks like a flying ghost visible near the middle. Please see the
explanation for more detailed information.

B93: A Dark Interstellar Ghost
Image Credit & Copyright: Christian Bertincourt; Text: Keighley
Rockcliffe (NASA GSFC, UMBC CSST, CRESST II)

Explanation: "A ghost in the Milky WayCǪCÇØ says Christian Bertincourt,
the astrophotographer behind this striking image of Barnard 93 (B93).
The 93rd entry in BarnardCÇÖs Catalogue of Dark Nebulae, B93 lies within
the Small Sagittarius Star Cloud (Messier 24), where its darkness
stands in stark contrast to bright stars and gas in the background. In
some ways, B93 is really like a ghost, because it contains gas and dust
that was dispersed by the deaths of stars, like supernovas. B93 appears
as a dark void not because it is empty, but because its dust blocks the
light emitted by more distant stars and glowing gas. Like other dark
nebulas, some gas from B93, if dense and massive enough, will
eventually gravitationally condense to form new stars. If so, then once
these stars ignite, B93 will transform from a dark ghost into a
brilliant cradle of newborn stars.

Tomorrow's picture: open space
__________________________________________________________________

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
NASA Official: Amber Straughn Specific rights apply.
NASA Web Privacy, Accessibility, Notices;
A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC,
NASA Science Activation
& Michigan Tech. U.

--- BBBS/Li6 v4.10 Toy-7
* Origin: The Rusty MailBox - Penticton, BC Canada (1:153/757)

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
written by a professional astronomer.

2026 February 21

Twilight with Moon and Planets
Image Credit & Copyright: Tunc Tezel (TWAN)

Explanation: Only two days after the February New Moon's annular
eclipse of the Sun, a slender lunar crescent poses near the western
horizon in this wintry twilight skyscape. Its nightside faintly
illuminated by earthshine, the young Moon is joined by three bright
planets in the mostly clear, early evening skies above the village of
Kirazli, Turkiye. Inner planet Venus appears closest to the horizon.
Near the beginning of its 2026 performance as planet Earth's evening
star, brilliant Venus is seen through the warm sunset glare near
picture center. Straight above Venus, innermost planet Mercury is easy
to spot as it stands remarkably high above the horizon even as the
twilight sky is growing dark. Outer planet Saturn, most distant of the
naked-eye planets, is found just left of the Moon's sunlit crescent.

Tomorrow's picture: robots on Mars
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Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
NASA Official: Amber Straughn Specific rights apply.
NASA Web Privacy, Accessibility, Notices;
A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC,
NASA Science Activation
& Michigan Tech. U.

--- BBBS/Li6 v4.10 Toy-7
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Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
written by a professional astronomer.

2026 February 22
A black and white image shows an unusual landscape with a bright ridge
across the top and texture like small sand dunes. The shadow of
something unusual dominates the image center. Wheels are visible at the
bottom of the image. near the middle. Please see the explanation for
more detailed information.

Shadow of a Martian Robot
Image Credit: NASA, JPL, Mars Exploration Rover Mission

Explanation: What if you saw your shadow on Mars and it wasn't human?
Then you might be the Opportunity rover exploring Mars. Opportunity
explored the Red Planet from 2004 to 2018, finding evidence of ancient
water, and sending breathtaking images across the inner Solar System.
Pictured here in 2004, Opportunity looks opposite the Sun into
Endurance Crater and sees its own shadow. Two wheels are visible on the
lower left and right, while the floor and walls of the unusual crater
are visible in the background. Caught in a dust storm in 2018,
Opportunity stopped responding, and NASA stopped trying to contact it
in 2019 and declared the ground-breaking mission, originally planned
for only 92 days, complete.

Tomorrow's picture: dust blue
__________________________________________________________________

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
NASA Official: Amber Straughn Specific rights apply.
NASA Web Privacy, Accessibility, Notices;
A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC,
NASA Science Activation
& Michigan Tech. U.

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Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
written by a professional astronomer.

2026 February 23
A cluster of blue stars is seen against a starfield of brown and clumpy
dust. The stars illuminate some of the nearby dust which causes the
dust to glow blue. Please see the explanation for more detailed
information.

Pleiades: The Seven Sisters Star Cluster
Image Credit & Copyright: Kamil Fiedosiuk

Explanation: Have you ever seen the Pleiades star cluster? Even if you
have, you probably have never seen it as large and clear as this.
Perhaps the most famous star cluster on the sky, the bright stars of
the Pleiades can be seen with the unaided eye even from the depths of a
light-polluted city. With a long exposure from a dark location, though,
the dust cloud surrounding the Pleiades star cluster becomes very
evident. The featured 18-hour exposure, taken from Bory Tucholskie,
Poland covers a sky area several times the size of the full moon. Also
known as the Seven Sisters and M45, the Pleiades lies about 400 light
years away toward the constellation of the Bull (Taurus). A common
legend with a modern twist is that one of the brighter stars faded
since the cluster was named, leaving only six of the sister stars
visible to the unaided eye. The actual number of Pleiades stars
visible, however, may be more or less than seven, depending on the
darkness of the surrounding sky and the clarity of the observer's
eyesight.

Sky Surprise: What picture did APOD feature on your birthday? (after
1995)
Tomorrow's picture: opera planets
__________________________________________________________________

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
NASA Official: Amber Straughn Specific rights apply.
NASA Web Privacy, Accessibility, Notices;
A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC,
NASA Science Activation
& Michigan Tech. U.

--- BBBS/Li6 v4.10 Toy-7
* Origin: The Rusty MailBox - Penticton, BC Canada (1:153/757)

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
written by a professional astronomer.

2026 February 24
The featured image shows four planets lined up behind the Sydney Opera
House in Australia. The image was taken one morning in April 2022, just
before sunrise. Please see the explanation for more detailed
information.

Planet Parade over Sydney Opera House
Image Credit & Copyright: Prasun Agrawal

Explanation: Look up this week and see a whole bunch of planets. Just
after sunset, looking west (mostly), planets Mercury, Venus, Saturn,
and Jupiter will all be visible to the unaided eye simultaneously. If
you have a telescope, planets Uranus and Neptune can also be seen. In
order up from the horizon, the lineup this week will be Venus (the
brightest), Mercury, Saturn, Neptune, Uranus, and Jupiter (second
brightest). It doesn't matter where on Earth you live because this
early evening planet parade will be visible through clear skies all
around the globe. The planets will appear to be nearly in a line
because they all orbit the Sun in nearly the same plane: the ecliptic.
The featured image shows a similar planet parade that occurred in 2022,
captured over the Sydney Opera House in southern Australia. Although
visible all week, the planets will be most easily seen together this
weekend.

Tomorrow's picture: space egg
__________________________________________________________________

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
NASA Official: Amber Straughn Specific rights apply.
NASA Web Privacy, Accessibility, Notices;
A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC,
NASA Science Activation
& Michigan Tech. U.

--- BBBS/Li6 v4.10 Toy-7
* Origin: The Rusty MailBox - Penticton, BC Canada (1:153/757)

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
written by a professional astronomer.

2026 February 25
A starfield is shown with an unusual orange object in the center.
Surrounding this object are blue rings and four thick jets. Please see
the explanation for more detailed information.

The Egg Nebula from the Hubble Telescope
Image Credit & Copyright: ESA/Hubble & NASA, B. Balick (U. Washington)

Explanation: Ever wonder what it would look like to crack open the Sun?
The Egg Nebula, a dying Sun-like star, can unscramble this question.
Pictured is a combination of several visible and infrared images of the
nebula (also known as RAFGL 2688 or CRL 2688) taken with the Hubble
Space Telescope. The star has shed its outer layers, and a bright, hot
core (or "yolk") now illuminates the milky "egg white" shells of gas
and dust surrounding the center. The central lobes and rings are
structures of gas and dust recently ejected into space, with the dust
being dense enough to block our view of the stellar core. Light beams
emanate from that blocked core, escaping through holes carved in the
older ejected material by newer, faster jets expelled from the starCÇÖs
poles. Astronomers are still trying to figure out what causes the
disks, lobes, and jets during this short (only a few thousand years!)
phase of the starCÇÖs evolution, making this an egg-cellent image to
study!

Tomorrow's picture: spiral webb
__________________________________________________________________

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
NASA Official: Amber Straughn Specific rights apply.
NASA Web Privacy, Accessibility, Notices;
A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC,
NASA Science Activation
& Michigan Tech. U.

--- BBBS/Li6 v4.10 Toy-7
* Origin: The Rusty MailBox - Penticton, BC Canada (1:153/757)

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
written by a professional astronomer.

2026 February 26

Webb and Hubble: IC 5332
Image Credit: ESA/Webb, NASA, CSA, J. Lee and the PHANGS-JWST and
PHANGS-HST Teams
Text: Cecilia Chirenti (NASA GSFC, UMCP, CRESST II)

Explanation: What does the universe look like through infrared goggles?
Our eyes can only see visible light, but astronomers want to see more.
TodayCÇÖs APOD shows spiral galaxy IC 5332 as seen by two NASA
telescopes: Webb in mid-infrared and Hubble in ultraviolet and visible
light. To toggle between the two space-based views just slide your
cursor over the image (or follow this link). The Hubble image
highlights the spiral arms of the galaxy separated by dark regions,
whereas the Webb image reveals a finer, more tangled structure.
Interstellar dust scatters and absorbs light from the stars in the
galaxy, causing the dark dust lanes in the Hubble image, and then emits
heat in infrared light, so dust glows in this Webb image. The
Mid-InfraRed Instrument on Webb needs to operate at a chilling
temperature of -266+|C (or - 447+|F), otherwise it would detect infrared
radiation from the telescope itself. Combining these observations,
astronomers connect the CÇ£small scaleCÇØ of gas and stars to the truly
large scale of galactic structure and evolution.

Tomorrow's picture: invertebrates in space
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Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
NASA Official: Amber Straughn Specific rights apply.
NASA Web Privacy, Accessibility, Notices;
A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC,
NASA Science Activation
& Michigan Tech. U.

--- BBBS/Li6 v4.10 Toy-7
* Origin: The Rusty MailBox - Penticton, BC Canada (1:153/757)

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
written by a professional astronomer.

2026 February 27

Sharpless 249 and the Jellyfish Nebula
Image Credit & Copyright: Katelyn Beecroft

Explanation: Normally faint and elusive, the Jellyfish Nebula is caught
in this alluring telescopic field of view. Floating in the interstellar
sea, the nebula is anchored right and left by two bright stars, Mu and
Eta Geminorum, at the foot of the celestial twins. The Jellyfish Nebula
itself is right of center, seen as a brighter arcing ridge of emission
with dangling tentacles. In fact, this cosmic jellyfish is part of
bubble-shaped supernova remnant IC 443, the expanding debris cloud from
a massive star that exploded. Light from the explosion first reached
planet Earth over 30,000 years ago. Like its cousin in astrophysical
waters the Crab Nebula supernova remnant, the Jellyfish Nebula is known
to harbor a neutron star, the ultradense remnant of the collapsed
stellar core. An emission nebula cataloged as Sharpless 249 fills the
field at the upper left. The Jellyfish Nebula is about 5,000
light-years away. At that distance, this image would be about 300
light-years across.

Tomorrow's picture: light-weekend
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Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
NASA Official: Amber Straughn Specific rights apply.
NASA Web Privacy, Accessibility, Notices;
A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC,
NASA Science Activation
& Michigan Tech. U.

--- BBBS/Li6 v4.10 Toy-7
* Origin: The Rusty MailBox - Penticton, BC Canada (1:153/757)

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
written by a professional astronomer.

2026 February 28

Lunar Occultation of Mercury
Image Credit & Copyright: Fabrizio Melandri

Explanation: Fans of the western sky after sunset have lately enjoyed
this month's remarkable array of bright planets. Witnessed from some
locations, on February 18 planet Mercury even appeared to slide behind
the Moon, an event known as a lunar occultation. These two snapshots,
taken in early evening skies show before and after telescopic views of
the rare disappearance of innermost planet behind young Moon. The top
panel finds bright Mercury just visible at the northern (right) edge of
the earthshine-illuminated lunar disk. In the bottom panel the bright
planet has emerged in darker skies beyond the Moon's sunlit crescent.
As seen south of Sallisaw, Oklahoma, planet Earth, this lunar
occultation of Mercury lasted only about 3 minutes (video). But you can
still check out a parade of planets tonight.

March 3: Total Lunar Eclipse
Tomorrow's picture: moon dark
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Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
NASA Official: Amber Straughn Specific rights apply.
NASA Web Privacy, Accessibility, Notices;
A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC,
NASA Science Activation
& Michigan Tech. U.

--- BBBS/Li6 v4.10 Toy-7
* Origin: The Rusty MailBox - Penticton, BC Canada (1:153/757)

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
written by a professional astronomer.

2026 March 1

The Moon During a Total Lunar Eclipse
Video Credit: Wang Letian & Zhang Jiajie

Explanation: How does the Moon's appearance change during a total lunar
eclipse? The featured time-lapse video was digitally processed to keep
the Moon bright and centered during the 5-hour eclipse of 2018 January
31. At first the full moon is visible because only a full moon can
undergo a lunar eclipse. Stars move by in the background because the
Moon orbits the Earth during the eclipse. The circular shadow of the
Earth is then seen moving across the Moon. The light blue hue of the
shadow's edge is related to why Earth's sky is blue, while the deep red
hue of the shadow's center is related to why the Sun appears red when
near the horizon. Tomorrow night, people living in Eastern Asia,
Australia, and much of North America may get to see a Total Blood Moon
Lunar Eclipse. Here the term blood refers to the (likely) red color of
a fully eclipsed Moon.

Almost Hyperspace: Random APOD Generator
Tomorrow's picture: Orion's dust
__________________________________________________________________

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
NASA Official: Amber Straughn Specific rights apply.
NASA Web Privacy, Accessibility, Notices;
A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC,
NASA Science Activation
& Michigan Tech. U.

--- BBBS/Li6 v4.10 Toy-7
* Origin: The Rusty MailBox - Penticton, BC Canada (1:153/757)

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
written by a professional astronomer.

2026 March 2
The featured image shows a dusty starfield with intricate dust
filaments all over. Red, blue, and brown nebulas will the field. Please
see the explanation for more detailed information.

The Dusty Surroundings of Orion and the Pleiades
Image Credit & Copyright: Ignacio Fern+índez

Explanation: How well do you know the night sky? OK, but how well can
you identify famous sky objects in a very deep image? Either way, here
is a test: see if you can find some well-known night-sky icons in a
deep image filled with filaments of normally faint dust and gas. This
image contains the Pleiades star cluster, Barnard's Loop, Orion Nebula,
Aldebaran, Betelgeuse, Witch Head Nebula, Eridanus Loop, and the
California Nebula. To find their real locations, here is an annotated
image version. The reason this task might be difficult is similar to
the reason it is initially hard to identify familiar constellations in
a very dark sky: the tapestry of our night sky has an extremely deep
hidden complexity. The featured composite reveals some of this
complexity in a 16 hours of sky exposure in dark skies over Granada,
Spain.

Tonight: Total Lunar Eclipse
Tomorrow's picture: over Mars
__________________________________________________________________

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
NASA Official: Amber Straughn Specific rights apply.
NASA Web Privacy, Accessibility, Notices;
A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC,
NASA Science Activation
& Michigan Tech. U.

--- BBBS/Li6 v4.10 Toy-7
* Origin: The Rusty MailBox - Penticton, BC Canada (1:153/757)

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
written by a professional astronomer.

2026 March 3

Flying over the North Pole of Mars
Video Credit: ESA, Mars Express, VMC; Processing & License: Simeon
Schmau+f

Explanation: If you could fly over the North Pole of Mars, what would
you see? Images from ESACÇÖs Mars Express mission in 2019 were compiled
into the featured video which shows just such a trip. First you see
below you a landscape tinted orange by rusted iron in the fine soil,
with some land appearing darker due to exposed rock. Soon the northern
polar cap comes into view, mostly white because of its reflective
frozen water. Surrounding the polar cap is the North Polar Basin, a
layered depression covered with dust and sand. The frames in the
featured video were captured during northern Martian Spring when the
carbon-dioxide ice is evaporating, leaving the underlying water-ice in
the cap. Mars Express continues to study the Martian surface and look
for clues about the Red Planet's ancient climate and potential for
life.

Tomorrow's picture: Space Eye
__________________________________________________________________

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
NASA Official: Amber Straughn Specific rights apply.
NASA Web Privacy, Accessibility, Notices;
A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC,
NASA Science Activation
& Michigan Tech. U.

--- BBBS/Li6 v4.10 Toy-7
* Origin: The Rusty MailBox - Penticton, BC Canada (1:153/757)

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
written by a professional astronomer.

2026 March 4
A starfield is shown with a large circular blue ring in the center. In
the ring's center is a bright blue spot. Please see the explanation for
more detailed information.

Shapley 1: An Annular Planetary Nebula
Image Credit & Copyright: Peter Bresseler; Text: Keighley Rockcliffe
(NASA GSFC, UMBC CSST, CRESST II)

Explanation: WhatCÇÖs looking back at you isnCÇÖt a cosmic eye, but Shapley
1, a beautifully symmetric planetary nebula. Shapley 1, also known as
the Fine Ring Nebula or PLN 329+2.1, bejewels the southern sky
constellation of the Carpenter's Square (Norma). The nebula is the
result of a star near the mass of our Sun running out of fuel and
shedding its outer layers. Glowing oxygen from those expelled layers
makes up the circular halo. The bright central point is actually a
binary: a white dwarf, the remaining stellar core after the outer
layers are expelled into space, and another star, orbiting each other
every 2.9 days. Shapley 1CÇÖs annular shape is due to our top-down view
of the system and provides insight into the influence of central stars
on planetary nebula structures.

Tomorrow's picture: sun bubbling
__________________________________________________________________

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
NASA Official: Amber Straughn Specific rights apply.
NASA Web Privacy, Accessibility, Notices;
A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC,
NASA Science Activation
& Michigan Tech. U.

--- BBBS/Li6 v4.10 Toy-7
* Origin: The Rusty MailBox - Penticton, BC Canada (1:153/757)