NASA’s Astronomy Picture of the Day

In today's image, we see multiple images of the Sun on the ground created by pinhole lenses from the leaves of a tree. Here we see the crescent shape of the nearly totally eclipsed Sun from the eclipse that occurred yesterday. Another eclipse will occur on April 8 of this coming year which will be visible across parts of Mexico and the Eastern half of the United States and Canada.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 corresponding to the date of this podcast.I welcome comments and suggestions about these podcasts. I can be reached here: [email protected] work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

In today's image, we see a halo around the Sun which is caused by ice crystals in cirrus clouds in Earth's atmosphere. Also today will be an annular solar eclipse which will be visible over parts of North and South America. 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 corresponding to the date of this podcast.I welcome comments and suggestions about these podcasts. I can be reached here: [email protected] work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

In today's image, we see the spiral galaxy known as M33 or the Triangulum Galaxy. This is one of the three large spiral galaxies in our Local Group of galaxies. The image is made to emphasize the red hydrogen clouds which show the large star forming regions in the 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 link below the image to select the photo corresponding to the date of this podcast.I welcome comments and suggestions about these podcasts. I can be reached here: [email protected] work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

In today's image, we see the star known as Mu Cephei. This is a red supergiant star which, if placed at the location of our Sun, would extend out past the planet Jupiter in our solar system. The star is n the later stages of its life and will eventually end its life in a supernova explosion. 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 corresponding to the date of this podcast.I welcome comments and suggestions about these podcasts. I can be reached here: [email protected] work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

In today's image, we see a spiral galaxy with a recently discovered supernova marked. This is an example of what is called a type II supernova - a very massive star which has reached the end of its life and exploded. 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 corresponding to the date of this podcast.I welcome comments and suggestions about these podcasts. I can be reached here: [email protected] work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

In today's image, we see the Orion Nebula in two images from the James Webb Space Telescope. The first shows the region in the red and near infrared part of the spectrum while the second image is imaged in slightly longer infrared wavelengths.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 corresponding to the date of this podcast.I welcome comments and suggestions about these podcasts. I can be reached here: [email protected] work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

In today's image, we see an eclipse which occurred as the Sun was rising above the horizon. The images of the Moon above and below the Sun nearly split the Sun in two in this image and are caused by distortions within the Earth's atmosphere which occur when looking close to the 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 website directly at: Astronomy Picture of the Day. You can use the archive link below the image to select the photo corresponding to the date of this podcast.I welcome comments and suggestions about these podcasts. I can be reached here: [email protected] work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

In today's image, we see a number of object together in the same direction on the sky. We see the plane and clouds within our own atmosphere. We see the Moon passing between Earth and Sun. And we see the Sun itself including a large group of sunspots. 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 corresponding to the date of this podcast.I welcome comments and suggestions about these podcasts. I can be reached here: [email protected] work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

In today's image, we see the Andromeda galaxy in two images. The first, in visible light shows it as we are used to seeing it as a typical spiral galaxy. The second, in infrared, emphasizes the dust which is bright in infrared light and shows where stars will be forming in the future. 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 corresponding to the date of this podcast.I welcome comments and suggestions about these podcasts. I can be reached here: [email protected] work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

In today's image, we see a photographic plate of the Andromeda Galaxy marked by Edwin Hubble one hundred years ago with the identification of variable stars. This discovery led to an increase in our understanding of the size of the universe showing that Andromeda was not a nebula within our galaxy but actually another galaxy or island universe of its own. 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 corresponding to the date of this podcast.I welcome comments and suggestions about these podcasts. I can be reached here: [email protected] work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

In today's image, we see images of a ring of fire eclipse as seen over Monument Valley in 2012. Here the eclipse occurred as the Sun was setting in the sky. Another such eclipse will be visible over parts of North, Central, and South America on October 14 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 below the image to select the photo corresponding to the date of this podcast.I welcome comments and suggestions about these podcasts. I can be reached here: [email protected] work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

In today's image, we see the reflection nebula known as the Witch Head Nebula. A reflection nebula occurs when light from a nearby hot star is scattered off of dust grains in the interstellar medium. The short wavelength (blue) is better scattered giving the nebula its distinctive blue color. 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 corresponding to the date of this podcast.I welcome comments and suggestions about these podcasts. I can be reached here: [email protected] work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

In today's image, we see an example of a planetary nebula perhaps seen in the shape of an hourglass. A planetary nebula is what forms at the end of the life of a star much like our own Sun. The outer layers are expelled out to form a planetary nebula while the core collapses down to become a super dense white dwarf 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 directly at: Astronomy Picture of the Day. You can use the archive link below the image to select the photo corresponding to the date of this podcast.I welcome comments and suggestions about these podcasts. I can be reached here: [email protected] work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

In today's image, we see an example of red sprite lightning. This is a type of lightning that forms high in the atmosphere and is associated with thunderstorms like tradition lightning. However, it will occur 50-60 miles above Earth's surface and is a very fleeting phenomenon. The image shown is a single frame of video lasting 1/25 of a second.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 corresponding to the date of this podcast.I welcome comments and suggestions about these podcasts. I can be reached here: [email protected] work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

In today's image, we see an annular eclipse seen over the desert in the United Arab Emirates. This annular, or ring of fire, eclipse occurred in 2019. However, we will have another one in just a couple of weeks when a similar eclipse will occur over parts of North and South America. 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 corresponding to the date of this podcast.I welcome comments and suggestions about these podcasts. I can be reached here: [email protected] work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

In today's image, we see the Harvest Moon which is the full moon that occurs closest to the time of the autumnal equinox. The light of the Harvest Moon would have assisted farmers with their harvest in the past as it brightened the night sky, giving more light to work by. 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 corresponding to the date of this podcast.I welcome comments and suggestions about these podcasts. I can be reached here: [email protected] work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

In today's image, we see the capsule recently returned to Earth containing a sample from the asteroid Bennu that was collected several years ago. This sample of material can help us learn about the early history of our solar system and is scheduled to be opened in the laboratory on October 11. 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 corresponding to the date of this podcast.I welcome comments and suggestions about these podcasts. I can be reached here: [email protected] work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

In today's image, we see what is known as M8 or the Lagoon Nebula. This is a star forming region located in the constellation of Sagittarius on the sky. 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 corresponding to the date of this podcast.I welcome comments and suggestions about these podcasts. I can be reached here: [email protected] work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

In today's image, we see what is known as a STEVE (Strong Thermal Emission Velocity Enhancement) This is a type of aurora which looks a bit different from what we are used to looking at. While it has been observed for quite a while now, this type of phenomena has not been studied until recently. 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 corresponding to the date of this podcast.I welcome comments and suggestions about these podcasts. I can be reached here: [email protected] work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

In today's image, we see the Blue Horsehead Reflection Nebula, which is distinct from the Horsehead nebula, a dark nebula in the constellation of Orion. This is an example of a reflection nebula where the shorter wavelength blue light is scattered off of dust grains around a hot, young star which gives the nebula its distinct color. 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 corresponding to the date of this podcast.I welcome comments and suggestions about these podcasts. I can be reached here: [email protected] work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

In today's image, we see the galaxy known as Arp 142, an example of a peculiar galaxy which is a galaxy which has undergone an interaction with another galaxy giving it an unusual shape and structure. In this case, it has interacted with the massive elliptical galaxy at the bottom of the frame and will, in a billion years or so, merge with that galaxy, forming 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 archive link below the image to select the photo corresponding to the date of this podcast.I welcome comments and suggestions about these podcasts. I can be reached here: [email protected] work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

In today's image, we see a video clip showing an annular solar eclipse from May 2013. We will see the Sun rising as a ring shaped object with the Moon blocking out the central portion of the Sun, but not being quite large enough to block out the entire Sun. The next annular solar eclipse will occur in just a few weeks and will be visible from parts of North and South America. 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 corresponding to the date of this podcast.I welcome comments and suggestions about these podcasts. I can be reached here: [email protected] work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

In today's image, we see an analemma in the sky. This is an image created by taking a phot of the Sun at exactly the same time each day for the course of an entire day over the course of a year. The pattern is caused by the tilt of Earth's orbit and the eccentricity (how much it deviates from a perfect circle) of the orbit.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 corresponding to the date of this podcast.I welcome comments and suggestions about these podcasts. I can be reached here: [email protected] work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

In today's image, we see star trails reflected off of the more than ten thousand mirrors in an array around a solar power station in the Gobi desert.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 corresponding to the date of this podcast.I welcome comments and suggestions about these podcasts. I can be reached here: [email protected] work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

In today's image, we see an image of the Collector arm of the OSIRIS-REx space craft just before the collection of a sample of material from the asteroid Bennu in 2020. That sample has been on its way back to Earth for a few years now and will arrive on Sunday, September 24 to allow scientists on Earth to study this sample of a distant asteroid. 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 corresponding to the date of this podcast.I welcome comments and suggestions about these podcasts. I can be reached here: [email protected] work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

In today's image, we see an artist's conception drawing of the exoplanet known as K2-18b where methane has recently been discovered. In addition, water was detected in the atmosphere of the planet back in 2019. This leads to the possibility that there may be some kind of life on this 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 Day. You can use the archive link below the image to select the photo corresponding to the date of this podcast.I welcome comments and suggestions about these podcasts. I can be reached here: [email protected] work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

In today's image, we see HH 211 - this is an example of what is called a Herbig-Haro object. These objects are associated with newly forming stars and are formed when jets of material expelled by the star strike material surrounding the star and cause it to glow.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 corresponding to the date of this podcast.I welcome comments and suggestions about these podcasts. I can be reached here: [email protected] work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

In today's image, we see an example of red sprite lightning in the sky. This lightning is associated with storm clouds but occurs much higher in the atmosphere with the tendrils that can speed down at about 1/10 the speed of light. 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 corresponding to the date of this podcast.I welcome comments and suggestions about these podcasts. I can be reached here: [email protected] work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

In today's image, we see an image of an annular eclipse of the Sun from 2020. This type of eclipse occurs when the Moon is a bit farther away and does not appear quite large enough to block out the entire disk of the Sun. A similar eclipse will occur next month and a total solar eclipse will occur in April of next 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 below the image to select the photo corresponding to the date of this podcast.I welcome comments and suggestions about these podcasts. I can be reached here: [email protected] work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

In today's image, we see a fireball visible in the sky over Iceland, near the Arctic Circle. A fireball is a meteor formed by a larger piece of material being vaporized in Earth's upper atmosphere. In the second image, we can see the trail left behind after the fireball itself disappeared.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 corresponding to the date of this podcast.I welcome comments and suggestions about these podcasts. I can be reached here: [email protected] work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

In today's image, we see an image taken from an airplane on a flight to Mexico City. We see the active volcano off in the distance. And, up in the sky, we see the thin crescent moon as well as the planet Venus. 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 corresponding to the date of this podcast.I welcome comments and suggestions about these podcasts. I can be reached here: [email protected] work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

In today's image, we see the spiral galaxy known as NGC 7331. this galaxy is about 50 million light years from Earth. Beyond it we see several other galaxies in the distance - since these galaxies appear about 1/10 the size of NGC 7331, we can estimate that they are 10x more distant. (This does assume that the galaxies are about the same diameter!)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 corresponding to the date of this podcast.I welcome comments and suggestions about these podcasts. I can be reached here: [email protected] work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

In today's image, we see the spiral galaxy known as NGC 4632. The galaxy has a recently discovered polar ring - the ring of material is essentially perpendicular to the plane of the galaxy itself. Further studies and models are ongoing to help us better understand these objects.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 corresponding to the date of this podcast.I welcome comments and suggestions about these podcasts. I can be reached here: [email protected] work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

In today's image, we see the galaxy cluster known as Abell 370. The arcs in the photo are distorted images of distant galaxies beyond the cluster that have be affected by gravitational lensing. When light passes through a region of large mass, its path is changed because of the way the mass distorts the spacetime around it. This was a prediction of Einstein's Theory of General Relativity from over 100 years 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 link below the image to select the photo corresponding to the date of this podcast.I welcome comments and suggestions about these podcasts. I can be reached here: [email protected] work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

In today's image, we see both Comet Nishimura and the planet Venus in the morning sky just before sunrise. Comet Nishimura will make its closest approach to Earth tomorrow and then closest to our Sun in about a week before heading back to the outer solar system where it will remain until in next ventures in to the inner solar system about 400 years from now.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 corresponding to the date of this podcast.I welcome comments and suggestions about these podcasts. I can be reached here: [email protected] work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

In today's image, we see an annular solar eclipse from 2012 in New Mexico. Another such Eclipse will occur for parts of North and South America on October 14 of this year. An annular eclipse occurs when the Moon is farther from us in its orbit and does not appear quite large enough to completely block out our Sun. This leaves a ring (or annulus) of material still visible around the limb of the Moon. 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 corresponding to the date of this podcast.I welcome comments and suggestions about these podcasts. I can be reached here: [email protected] work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

In today's image, we see the recently discovered Comet Nishimura. The comet will make its closest approach to Earth this coming week and the following week will make its closest approach to the Sun. That means that it may brighten enough to be seen without a telescope and is currently visible in the western sky just 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 image and website directly at: Astronomy Picture of the Day. You can use the archive link below the image to select the photo corresponding to the date of this podcast.I welcome comments and suggestions about these podcasts. I can be reached here: [email protected] work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

In today's image, we see the nebula known as Messier 17. This is an example of a star forming region where stars are still forming in the dark, dense, dusty pockets. The stars that have formed emit ultraviolet light which energizes the rest of the nebula causing it to glow.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 corresponding to the date of this podcast.I welcome comments and suggestions about these podcasts. I can be reached here: [email protected] work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

In today's image, we see the Large Magellanic Cloud - A satellite galaxy of our larger Milky Way Galaxy. This galaxy contains SN 1987A - The closest supernova to have been seen since the advent of the telescope and the Tarantula Nebula - a massive star forming region much larger than the Orion region which we often 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: Astronomy Picture of the Day. You can use the archive link below the image to select the photo corresponding to the date of this podcast.I welcome comments and suggestions about these podcasts. I can be reached here: [email protected] work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

In today's image, we see a video clip showing the telescopes of the High Energy Stereoscopic System in Namibia. These telescopes allow us to study high energy gamma rays from the surface of 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 website directly at: Astronomy Picture of the Day. You can use the archive link below the image to select the photo corresponding to the date of this podcast.I welcome comments and suggestions about these podcasts. I can be reached here: [email protected] work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

In today's image, we see the blue supermoon which occurred at the end of August this year. The blue moon is sometimes considered to the the second full moon which occurs in one month - something that happens only every few years. The supermoon is the full moon that occurs near the time of perigee when the Moon is closest to Earth in its elliptical orbit. Having the two together is something that may occur only once in a decade.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 corresponding to the date of this podcast.I welcome comments and suggestions about these podcasts. I can be reached here: [email protected] work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

In today's image, we see two nebulae in the constellation of Cygnus. The Bubble Nebula, which is a planetary nebula showing us the future of our own Sun when it reaches the end of its life. The Crescent Nebula is surrounding a Wolf-Rayet star - the type of star that will end its life in a massive supernova explosion.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 corresponding to the date of this podcast.I welcome comments and suggestions about these podcasts. I can be reached here: [email protected] work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

In today's image, we see an image from 2006 showing the disruption and fragmentation of a comet as it passed close to our Sun. This can happen when a fragile comet passes too close to the Sun or even one of the planets. 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 corresponding to the date of this podcast.I welcome comments and suggestions about these podcasts. I can be reached here: [email protected] work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

In today's image, we see what is known as the Iris Nebula. This is an example of a reflection nebula where light is scattered off of dust grains around a newly formed star. Since the shorter wavelengths (blue) are preferentially scattered, the nebulae like this will have a distinct blue color. 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 corresponding to the date of this podcast.I welcome comments and suggestions about these podcasts. I can be reached here: [email protected] work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

In today's image, we see the great globular star cluster known as M13 which is visual in the constellation of Hercules. Globular star clusters are among the oldest parts of our galaxy, dating back to the origin of the galaxy itself. The stars near the center are densely packed together so that a hundred stars could fit in a cube about 3 light year on a side. The nearest star to our Sun is a little over 4 light years away. 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 corresponding to the date of this podcast.I welcome comments and suggestions about these podcasts. I can be reached here: [email protected] work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

In today's image, we see a nebula, not out in space, but in our own atmosphere on Earth. This is the result of the exhaust of a rocket taking a crew up to the International Space Station. Two bright dots near the middle are the second stage capsule carrying the astronauts and the first stage returning to 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 website directly at: Astronomy Picture of the Day. You can use the archive link below the image to select the photo corresponding to the date of this podcast.I welcome comments and suggestions about these podcasts. I can be reached here: [email protected] work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

In today's image, we see the full moon rising on Aug 1 of this year. Tonight, we will have the second full moon of the month, sometimes called a blue moon. It is also a supermoon since it occurs when the Mon is at perigee - the closest point in its elliptical orbit around 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 website directly at: Astronomy Picture of the Day. You can use the archive link below the image to select the photo corresponding to the date of this podcast.I welcome comments and suggestions about these podcasts. I can be reached here: [email protected] work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

In today's image, we see the spiral galaxy known as M66. We note that the spiral structure of this galaxy appears distorted. This is likely due to the gravitational interactions with other nearby galaxies. 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 corresponding to the date of this podcast.I welcome comments and suggestions about these podcasts. I can be reached here: [email protected] work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

In today's image, we see the star forming region known as the Pacman Nebula. within this region, we see recently formed stars and well as globules containing stars still in the process of formation. We also see the remaining gas and dust from the original molecular cloud that once formed the entire 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 Picture of the Day. You can use the archive link below the image to select the photo corresponding to the date of this podcast.I welcome comments and suggestions about these podcasts. I can be reached here: [email protected] work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

In today's image, we see three galaxies - our Milky Way as well as the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds. In addition, we see a beautiful image of comet McNaught - the great comet visible in 2007. 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 corresponding to the date of this podcast.I welcome comments and suggestions about these podcasts. I can be reached here: [email protected] work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.