Notices by Astronomy Picture of the Day (apod@mastodon.bot)

APOD from 2026-02-08

Active Sunspot Region 4366 Crosses the Sun

Sunspot region AR 4366, larger than #Earth, has produced several flares over 10 days. Captured over Zacatecas, Mexico, it's a candidate for the most active region in the current solar cycle and may boost Earth's auroras. It's now rotating away from Earth with its future visibility uncertain.

HD image at https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260208.html#space #astronomy

APOD from 2025-12-23

Red Sprites and Circular Elves Lightning over Italy

Lightning comes in various forms, including white flashes between clouds, red sprites with tentacles, and ringed ELVES. Sprites are brief but bright, while ELVES form glowing nitrogen rings in the ionosphere. Capturing both together is rare, as seen in a video from Italy over the Adriatic Sea.

HD image at https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap251223.html#space #astronomy

APOD from 2025-09-01

Callisto: Dirty Battered Iceball

#Jupiter's #moon Callisto, larger than #Mercury and visited by Voyager 2 in 1979, is heavily cratered with a bright icy surface. Its interior may hide a liquid water layer, possibly harboring life. Upcoming ESA and NASA missions aim to study Jupiter's moons further.

HD image at https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250901.html#space #astronomy #planet #earth

APOD from 2025-07-12

Clouds and the Golden #Moon

A Full Moon rises in Brazil, its light captured with dual exposures to detail the #lunar surface and backlit clouds. Known as the Thunder Moon in the north, it marks winter's presence in the southern hemisphere.

HD image at https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250712.html#space #astronomy

APOD from 2025-05-29

Irregular Dwarf #Galaxy Sextans A

Irregular dwarf galaxy Sextans A, 4.5 million light-years away, forms stars in a gumdrop-shaped area just 5,000 light-years wide. Despite its small size, it's part of the local group of galaxies including the Milky Way and Andromeda.

HD image at https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250529.html#space #astronomy

APOD from 2025-04-23

An Almost Everything Sky

A vibrant sky captured in New Zealand features the Milky Way, a #meteor, zodiacal light, aurora, and a photographer's light trail. This composite image is made from 10 exposures; the astrophotographer is also hidden within the scene.

HD image at https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250423.html#space #astronomy #galaxy #earth

APOD from 2025-03-12

NGC 772: The Fiddlehead #Galaxy

The Fiddlehead galaxy's twisted shape is due to gravitational interaction with nearby NGC 770. Spanning 200,000 light-years and located 100 million light-years away in Aries, it coincidentally aligns with #Comet 43P/Wolf-Harrington in this image, despite the comet being much closer within our Solar System.

HD image at https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250312.html#space #astronomy

APOD from 2025-02-23

#Saturn in #Infrared from Cassini

Saturn's cloud bands and a hexagon larger than #Earth are visible in infrared. Captured by Cassini in 2014, the image highlights the #planet's rings and shadows. The hexagon's origin remains a mystery. Cassini ended its mission with a plunge into Saturn in 2017.

HD image at https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250223.html#space #astronomy

APOD from 2025-02-15

Parhelia at Abisko

Captured in Sweden, this image shows the Sun flanked by two sun dogs, bright spots caused by ice crystals reflecting sunlight. These parhelia are common in winter and high latitudes, lying on a 22-degree halo around the Sun.

HD image at https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250215.html#space #astronomy #planet #earth

APOD from 2025-02-04

Anticrepuscular Rays: A Rainbow Fan over Spain

A rare sight captured in Lekeitio, Spain, shows a rainbow with anticrepuscular rays converging opposite the sunset. This optical illusion occurs as sunlight reflects off rain and is partially blocked by clouds, creating a serene and surreal scene.

HD image at https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250204.html#space #astronomy

APOD from 2025-01-15

Wolf #Moon Engulfs #Mars

Yesterday, the full Wolf Moon occulted Mars, visible from parts of North America and western Africa. This rare event occurred as Mars neared opposition, at its brightest. The next Moon-Mars occultation is expected on February 9.

HD image at https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250115.html#space #astronomy #earth #planet #planets

APOD from 2024-07-21

King of Wings Hoodoo under the Milky Way

The King of Wings, a hoodoo in New Mexico, forms from hard rock over softer eroding layers. Planning its night-sky photoshoot took a year, balancing artificial foreground lighting with the Milky Way's natural glow. The final image was captured in May 2016.

HD image at https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240721.html#space #astronomy #galaxy

APOD from 2024-05-12

Red Aurora over Poland

A rare aurora reached far south due to a CME from the Sun's Active Region 3664. The burst hit #Earth, sparking widespread auroras. More may come as AR3664 remains active but is rotating away. A vibrant display was photographed in Poland, capturing a first-time viewer's awe.

HD image at https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240512.html#space #astronomy #planet

APOD from 2023-12-25

Cathedral, Mountain, #Moon

Capturing a triple alignment of the Basilica of Superga, Monviso mountain, and the crescent Moon took six years and five failed attempts due to bad weather. Success came recently in Piemonte, Italy, with clear skies allowing for a shot that also revealed the da Vinci glow on the Moon's surface.

HD image at https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap231225.html#space #astronomy