astronomy picture of the day

Nebulae are vast cosmic formations consisting of dust and gas -- which originate from various sources, such as the ejected material of a dying star, like a supernova explosion. Moreover, certain nebulae serve as fertile grounds where the birth of new stars begins. That's why, these particular nebulae are often known as "star nurseries." One such nebula is the Lagoon Nebula.Today's NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day is a spooky snapshot of the center of the Lagoon Nebula. In this image, in the heart of the Lagoon Nebula, a…

On Earth, storms are a common occurrence, often taking the form of spirals or circular patterns. Can they also take a hexagonal shape? Well, that is something exclusive to Saturn! The distinctive hexagon-shaped cloud patterns observed on Saturn's North Pole remain a unique and intriguing phenomenon within our solar system.NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day for June 18 is hexagon clouds over Saturn! The formation of a hexagon on Saturn's clouds is a fascinating mystery. This peculiar phenomenon was initially observed…

An impressive number of over 14,000 satellites have been successfully launched into near-Earth orbit, United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs data revealed. Low Earth Orbit refers to a space region situated less than 1000 kilometers above the Earth's surface. It is a preferred orbit for satellites due to its close proximity to Earth and the array of benefits it offers for various applications. Among the well-known things in this orbit is the International Space Station (ISS), a habitable space station renowned for…

It's NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD) birthday! It was first launched on June 16, 1995 by Robert Nemiroff and Jerry Bonnell. With a vast collection of astronomical images, the APOD archive stands as the largest repository of its kind on the internet, NASA says. Each day NASA features a different picture of some part of our fascinating universe, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.Today's NASA astronomy photo of the day features a timelapse from sunset to sunrise with an aurora. A…

Nebulae are star-forming regions that have some of the most peculiar shapes, with some of the most fascinating examples being the Headphone Nebula, the Heart and Soul Nebula, and the Flying Ghost Nebula. These star nurseries are located in Interstellar space, which is the space between stars, and consist of gases, mainly hydrogen, and helium. Although most nebulae belong to just three types - spherical, elliptical, and bipolar, some of them might be irregularly shaped, so much so that they resemble objects on Earth.…

Over the past few months, we've seen several amazing images of celestial objects as part of NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day, which is published on a daily basis featuring astrophotographers from around the world. Some of these include snapshots of fascinating celestial objects documented by Charles Messier. The French astronomer studied and catalogued these objects in Catalogue des Nébuleuses et des Amas d'Étoiles and the catalogue is today known as the Messier Objects which contains 110 objects.Today's NASA Astronomy…

Jupiter has been shocking astronomers ever since astronomer Galileo Galilei started recording its mysteries as far back as 1610. Jupiter is also known as the Gas Giant as it has a dense atmosphere of hydrogen and helium with windy clouds of ammonia. It is the fifth planet in the solar system, and it is by far the biggest one. In fact, it is twice as big as all the other planets in our solar system combined. It also has the most moons in the solar system, with 92 confirmed moons with orbits, according to International…

What Color is the Sun? The answer to this question seems obvious -- yellow. That's what we see on a daily basis, right? But you would be surprised to know, that the true colour of the Sun is not absolute Yellow or even White. Seems confusing? Don't worry, NASA has covered it all! According to the space agency, the colour that we perceive is undeniably influenced by various factors. These include the wavelength and intensity of the light being emitted, environmental conditions, the capabilities and restrictions of our…

The month of June will be quite interesting for skywatchers! Mars and Venus will be seen gradually approaching each other in the western sky after sunset. Adjacent to these celestial wonders is the captivating blue-white star known as Regulus, which serves as the heart of the constellation Leo, the lion. Furthermore, slowly and gradually, from the 20th to the 22nd of June, the crescent Moon will pass through this celestial region, creating a particularly spectacular view at dusk on June 21st.Today's NASA Astronomy…

Most galaxies exist in groups or clusters with dozens or hundreds of members, and these cluster galaxies are all in constant motion, pulled and twisted by their neighbour's gravity. Galaxies exist in the vastness of space, consisting of various celestial objects such as stars, clouds of dust, and gas, all of which are bound together by gravity. These galaxy clusters are the largest objects in the Universe bound by gravity and astronomers can use them to measure important cosmological properties, according to NASA.Today's…