NASA’s Astronomy Picture of the Day

In today's image, we see the return of the lower stage of a SpaceX rocket to Earth. This was the first test of the craft returning directly to the rocket tower from which it launched. This could potentially save money by lowering transpiration costs to return the rocket from a separate landing site. My podcasts are available in video form through this YouTube Channel . This Podcast is an authorize...

In today's image, we see part of the Eagle Nebula, a star forming region. Here we see what look like giant pillar pointing upward. These are the denser areas which have not yet be worn away by the energy of the young stars off the top of the image. Within these, stars continue to form. My podcasts are available in video form through this YouTube Channel . This Podcast is an authorized New Media Mi...

In today's image, we see comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS as seen over California recently. The comet was bright with a prominent tail pointing toward the upper left and an antitail to the lower right. This may be the great comet of 2024, depending on how bright another incoming comet is over the coming weeks. My podcasts are available in video form through this YouTube Channel . This Podcast is an authori...

In today's image, we see a simulation of the universe showing the dark matter which is far more prevalent than the ordinary matter that we are used to. Studies have confirmed that it is not possible for this dark matter to be ordinary matter, but perhaps an exotic type of subatomic particle. My podcasts are available in video form through this YouTube Channel . This Podcast is an authorized New Me...

In today's image, we see images of comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS as it moves away from Earth and Sun and slowly fades in brightness. It will be hard to see now without some sort of aid. 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 ca...

In today's image, we see am image of comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS. We can see the prominent tail stretching back to the upper left and an anti tail stretching down to the lower right. 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...

In today's image, we see the rocket preparing to launch the Europa Clipper to Jupiter. The craft is scheduled to arrive at Jupiter in 2030. In the image, we also see comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS which is currently visible in the evening sky after sunset. 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 th...

In today's image, we see a number of effects associated with the aroma as recently seen over New Zealand. These include the auroral activity itself as well as an SAR arc and a STEVE. 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...

In today's image, we see an animation showing the past and predicted future tails of comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS. The comet is currently separating from the direction of the Sun in the sky and may become more prominent in the evening sky over the next week before it begins to fade. My podcasts are available in video form through this YouTube Channel . This Podcast is an authorized New Media Mirror Sit...

In today's image, we see comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS as recently viewed over the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC. The comet is currently visible in the evening sky just after sunset and may be at its best over the next few days. 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 di...

In today's image, we see a timeless of the aurora. This compresses an hour in to just about 8 seconds. We can see the red glow due to oxygen atoms in Earth's upper atmosphere. The atoms glow because of the recent solar flare which sent charged particles toward Earth. My podcasts are available in video form through this YouTube Channel . This Podcast is an authorized New Media Mirror Site for APOD....

In today's image, we see the Northern Lights as seen from West Virginia recently. The aurora are seen at lower latitude like this when solar storms - coronal mass ejections and solar flares send large amounts of particles toward Earth. 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 we...

In today's image, we see an image from the annular eclipse of October 11. This type of eclipse occurs when our Moon is near apogee, its greatest distance from Earth. This makes it appear smaller and it cannot fully block out Sun's disk. 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 w...

In today's image, we see images of five bright comets from the 21st century as images by the SOHO spacecraft. 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 correspondi...

In today's image, we see the galaxy known as M 106. This is a specific type of spiral galaxy known as a Seyfert Galaxy. This is what is known as an active galaxy which emits more energy from its core than an ordinary spiral 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 websit...

In today's image, we see an image from the annular solar eclipse from this past week. Here, the Moon passes in front of the Sun, but the Moon appears slightly smaller than the Sun because of its distance and is unable to completely block out the Sun's light. This leaves a ring or annulus around the Sun. My podcasts are available in video form through this YouTube Channel . This Podcast is an autho...

In today's image, we see comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS in the sky. The comet is currently very close to the Sun, but will likely be bright enough to be seen with the naked eye as it moves away from the Sun and is visible in the western sky after sunset. 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...

In today's image, we see the great comet of 2007, Comet McNaught. The comet was one of the brightest to have been seen in several decades. Now, we look for Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS which is brightening in the sky and may become a prominent comet over the next couple of weeks. My podcasts are available in video form through this YouTube Channel . This Podcast is an authorized New Media Mirror Site f...

In today's image, we see an object which is not a comet, but is actually a planetary nebula. This type of nebula is what forms at the end of the life of a star much like our own Sun as the core compacts dow to a white dwarf star and the outer layers expand out into space. My podcasts are available in video form through this YouTube Channel . This Podcast is an authorized New Media Mirror Site for...

In today's image, we see the comet known as Tsuchinshan-ATLAS as it is visible in the sky just as the moon is barely rising over the horizon. The comet has been brightening and may be a nice sight in the sky as it makes its closest approach to Earth in a little over a week. My podcasts are available in video form through this YouTube Channel . This Podcast is an authorized New Media Mirror Site fo...

In today's image, we see a partial solar eclipse that occurred yesterday and was visible over parts of the South Pacific and South Atlantic oceans. Thursday annular eclipse was seen primarily over the oceans, but the partial phase was visible from Hawaii as well as parts of South America. My podcasts are available in video form through this YouTube Channel . This Podcast is an authorized New Media...

In today's image, we see a nearby satellite galaxy of our Milky Way known as the Large Magellanic Cloud. The galaxy is prominently visible in the the night sky for those living in the southern hemisphere. 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 Pi...

In today's image, we see what is known as Porphyrion which is the longest known jet from a black hole, stretching 23 million light years from end to end. This is larger than the distances to many galaxies, which shows how jets like these may affect galactic neighbors and not just the galaxy itself. My podcasts are available in video form through this YouTube Channel . This Podcast is an authorized...

In today's image, we see the comet known as Tsuchinshan-ATLAS as seen from a drone hovering about the clouds in Mexico. While the comet it currently at the edge of naked-eye visibility, it may brighten over the coming weeks to make it even brighter and visible without the aid of binoculars or a telescope. My podcasts are available in video form through this YouTube Channel . This Podcast is an aut...

In today's image, we see the Pleiades Star Cluster as imaged in the infrared. We will note that in infrared light, the dust is highlighted which mostly hides the stars themselves. 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 ca...