Robert M Wagner
NASA’s Astronomy Picture of the Day
These podcasts are my discussion of NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day. These are brief (3-5 minute) audio summaries of the picture posted on NASA's Picture of the Day website: APOD. Video versions of these are available on YouTube. I use these as the introduction to each of my introductory astronomy classes. Students will be able to access them here to review what was discussed in class. I appreciate any comments or suggestions which can be sent to: wagnerastronomy@gmail.com.
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Episodes
2026 July 11 - Messier 24: Sagittarius Star Cloud 11.07.2026 4:10
In today's image, we see star cloud in the constellation of Satittarius. These are seen through a gap in the dust in the direction of the center of the galaxy giving us a peek into the stars in this region. My podcasts are available in video form through this YouTube Channel . This Podcast is an authorized New Media Mirror Site for APOD. You can access the image and website directly at: Astronomy...
2026 July 10 - Western Moon, Eastern Sea 10.07.2026 3:27
In today's image, we see the western limb of our Moon and off on the edge is the easter sea or Mare Orientale. My podcasts are available in video form through this YouTube Channel . This Podcast is an authorized New Media Mirror Site for APOD. You can access the image and website directly at: Astronomy Picture of the Day . You can use the archive link below the image to select the photo correspond...
2026 July 09 - The Red Glow of the Cosmic Bat Nebula 09.07.2026 3:33
In today's image, we see the Cosmic Bat Nebula ice is a dark nebula - a star forming region which may resemble a bat flying in space. The red glow is the glow of hydrogen gas begin expelled in a jet from a newly forming star. My podcasts are available in video form through this YouTube Channel . This Podcast is an authorized New Media Mirror Site for APOD. You can access the image and website dire...
2026 July 08 - Swift Boost Mission 08.07.2026 4:12
In today's image, we see an animation of the Swift Boost Mission to attempt to boost an astronomical satellite into a higher orbit, extending its life. My podcasts are available in video form through this YouTube Channel . This Podcast is an authorized New Media Mirror Site for APOD. You can access the image and website directly at: Astronomy Picture of the Day . You can use the archive link below...
2026 July 07 - NGC 6188: Dragons of Ara 07.07.2026 3:55
In today's image, we see a star forming region in the constellation of Ara. The patterns are formed by gas and dust in space with the patterns shaped and illuminated by massive stars. My podcasts are available in video form through this YouTube Channel . This Podcast is an authorized New Media Mirror Site for APOD. You can access the image and website directly at: Astronomy Picture of the Day . Yo...
2026 July 06 - Dueling Bands over the Atacama Desert 06.07.2026 3:26
In today's image, we see two bands of light in the sky. To the left is the Milky Way - our galaxy as we see it from within. To the right is the zodiacal light - a band of light caused by reflection of light off dust grains in our solar system. My podcasts are available in video form through this YouTube Channel . This Podcast is an authorized New Media Mirror Site for APOD. You can access the imag...
2026 July 05 - Saturn's Iapetus: Painted Moon 05.07.2026 3:30
In today's image, we see an image taken by the Cassini spacecraft back in 2007 of the moon of Saturn known as Iapetus. This is a very unusual moon in that one half appears as bright as snow and the other half as dark as coal. My podcasts are available in video form through this YouTube Channel . This Podcast is an authorized New Media Mirror Site for APOD. You can access the image and website dire...
2026 July 04 - Pathfinder on Mars 04.07.2026 3:45
In today's image, we see the landing image from the Mars pathfinder from 29 years ago today. On top is the Sojourner Rover which was the first rover to explore the surface of the red planet. My podcasts are available in video form through this YouTube Channel . This Podcast is an authorized New Media Mirror Site for APOD. You can access the image and website directly at: Astronomy Picture of the D...
2026 July 03 - Three Galaxies in Pavo 03.07.2026 4:22
In today's image, we see three interacting galaxies in the constellation of Pavo. The galaxies are in the process of colliding and merging into a single larger galaxy. My podcasts are available in video form through this YouTube Channel . This Podcast is an authorized New Media Mirror Site for APOD. You can access the image and website directly at: Astronomy Picture of the Day . You can use the ar...
2026 July 02 - Sibling Supernova Remnants 02.07.2026 3:31
In today's image, we see two supernova remnants close together in the sky. Recent studies have suggested that these two stars were once part of a binary star system. My podcasts are available in video form through this YouTube Channel . This Podcast is an authorized New Media Mirror Site for APOD. You can access the image and website directly at: Astronomy Picture of the Day . You can use the arch...
2026 July 01 - The Cotton Candy Clouds of Rho Ophiuchi 01.07.2026 3:57
In today's image, we see the star forming region around Rho Ophiuchi including various types of nebulae. These include: emission nebulae, reflection nebulae, and dark nebulae. My podcasts are available in video form through this YouTube Channel . This Podcast is an authorized New Media Mirror Site for APOD. You can access the image and website directly at: Astronomy Picture of the Day . You can us...
2026 June 30 - Unusually Smooth Sections of Asteroid Itokawa 30.06.2026 4:20
In today's image, we see the asteroid Itokawa as imaged by the Hayabusa spacecraft back in 2005. This was one of the early sample return missions, returning material from the asteroid to Earth for more detailed study. My podcasts are available in video form through this YouTube Channel . This Podcast is an authorized New Media Mirror Site for APOD. You can access the image and website directly at:...
2026 June 29 - M82: Galaxy with a Supergalactic Wind 29.06.2026 3:58
In today's image, we see the galaxy known as M82 or the cigar galaxy. The red and orange color is gas and dust being push out by a super wind created by the combined stellar winds of many stars. My podcasts are available in video form through this YouTube Channel . This Podcast is an authorized New Media Mirror Site for APOD. You can access the image and website directly at: Astronomy Picture of t...
2026 June 28 - AR4478: Giant Sunspot Group 28.06.2026 4:20
In today's image, we see a large sunspot group that is currently moving across the face of the Sun. Large groups like this can affect Earth through things like solar flares and coronal mass ejections. My podcasts are available in video form through this YouTube Channel . This Podcast is an authorized New Media Mirror Site for APOD. You can access the image and website directly at: Astronomy Pictur...
2026 June 27 - Mars Marathon by Perseverance 27.06.2026 3:42
In today's image, we see an image from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter taken one day before Perseverance completed its marathon on the surface of Mars, taking over five year to travel the distance of a marathon. My podcasts are available in video form through this YouTube Channel . This Podcast is an authorized New Media Mirror Site for APOD. You can access the image and website directly at: Astro...
2026 June 26 - Milky Way Urban Style 26.06.2026 3:16
In today's image, we see the Milky Way images over Seoul, South Korea using an infrared filter to minimize the light pollution. My podcasts are available in video form through this YouTube Channel . This Podcast is an authorized New Media Mirror Site for APOD. You can access the image and website directly at: Astronomy Picture of the Day . You can use the archive link below the image to select the...
2026 June 25 - Anticrepuscular Rays over Sicily 25.06.2026 3:22
In today's image, we see anticrepuscular rays in the sky. The Sun will have just set behind the photographer as the image was taken. Sunlight passes through breaks in the clouds and the rays appear to converge on the opposite horizon. My podcasts are available in video form through this YouTube Channel . This Podcast is an authorized New Media Mirror Site for APOD. You can access the image and web...
2026 June 24 - SDO Observes a Coronal Mass Ejection 24.06.2026 4:43
In today's image, we see timelapse video from the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). The shows the eruption of a coronal mass ejection from the surface of our Sun that occurred back in April of this year. My podcasts are available in video form through this YouTube Channel . This Podcast is an authorized New Media Mirror Site for APOD. You can access the image and website directly at: Astronomy Pic...
2026 June 23 - Flying Past Neptune's Moon Triton 23.06.2026 4:00
In today's image, we see a video put together from images taken by the Voyager 2 spacecraft during its flyby back in 1989. My podcasts are available in video form through this YouTube Channel . This Podcast is an authorized New Media Mirror Site for APOD. You can access the image and website directly at: Astronomy Picture of the Day . You can use the archive link below the image to select the phot...
2026 June 22 - M27: The Dumbbell Nebula 22.06.2026 3:59
In today's image, we see M27 also known as the Dumbbell Nebula. The is an example of planetary nebula - what our Sun will become in about six billion years. My podcasts are available in video form through this YouTube Channel . This Podcast is an authorized New Media Mirror Site for APOD. You can access the image and website directly at: Astronomy Picture of the Day . You can use the archive link...
2026 June 21 - Keogram: The Sky in 2025 21.06.2026 3:42
In today's image, we see a keogram - an image put together from multiple all sky images taken every 15 seconds for an entire year. We can easily see daylight and darkness and how they change over the year. My podcasts are available in video form through this YouTube Channel . This Podcast is an authorized New Media Mirror Site for APOD. You can access the image and website directly at: Astronomy P...
2026 June 20 - Daytime Moon Meets Evening Star 20.06.2026 4:04
In today's image, we see the planet Venus very close to the limb of the Moon. The was taken just at the end of an occultation of Venus by the Moon a few days ago. My podcasts are available in video form through this YouTube Channel . This Podcast is an authorized New Media Mirror Site for APOD. You can access the image and website directly at: Astronomy Picture of the Day . You can use the archive...
2026 June 19 - Starry Night II 19.06.2026 3:40
In today's image, we see a photographic recreation of Vincent Van Gogh's famous Starry Night painting. The image was taken in Brazil in April of this year. My podcasts are available in video form through this YouTube Channel . This Podcast is an authorized New Media Mirror Site for APOD. You can access the image and website directly at: Astronomy Picture of the Day . You can use the archive link b...
2026 June 18 - Possible Supernova Remnant in Galactic Center 18.06.2026 4:15
In today's image, we see a possible supernova remnant near the center of our galaxy - perhaps one of the closest known supernovae to the center of our galaxy. My podcasts are available in video form through this YouTube Channel . This Podcast is an authorized New Media Mirror Site for APOD. You can access the image and website directly at: Astronomy Picture of the Day . You can use the archive lin...
2026 June 17 - Longmore 8: The Hamster Wheel Nebula 17.06.2026 3:59
In today's image, we see the planetary nebula now as Longmore 8 or the Hamster Wheel Nebula. The red color is for hydrogen has while the blue color is from ionized oxygen farther out. My podcasts are available in video form through this YouTube Channel . This Podcast is an authorized New Media Mirror Site for APOD. You can access the image and website directly at: Astronomy Picture of the Day . Yo...
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