Astronomy Picture of the Day ·

Halloween and the Ghost Head Nebula

The Astronomy Picture of the Day for October 26, 2025 is “Halloween and the Ghost Head Nebula,” an image. It is credited to Image Credit: NASA , ESA , Mohammad Heydari-Malayeri ( Observatoire de Paris ) et al.,. The original explanation runs about 162 words.

A white nebula appears in a colorful star field. To some, the nebula appears like a ghost. Please see the explanation for more detailed information.
Credit: Image Credit: NASA , ESA , Mohammad Heydari-Malayeri ( Observatoire de Paris ) et al., Shown from science.nasa.gov. Not hosted by OpenOrbit.

From the explanation

“Halloween’s origin is ancient and astronomical. Since the fifth century BC, Halloween has been celebrated as a cross-quarter day , a day halfway between an equinox (equal day / equal night) and a solstice (minimum day / maximum night in the northern hemisphere).”

— APOD editors, October 26, 2025

Read the full explanation on science.nasa.gov

At a glance

Date
October 26, 2025
Type
Image
Credit
Credit: Image Credit: NASA , ESA , Mohammad Heydari-Malayeri ( Observatoire de Paris ) et al.,
Copyright
No copyright notice on the entry. Check the credited institution’s own usage rules before reusing it.
Explanation length
About 162 words

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Topics in this entry

NebulaeGalaxies

Topics are matched from words in the title and explanation.

On this day: October 26 in other years

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Source

Copy taken Oct 28, 2026, 2:39 AM EDT. The image and explanation belong to their creators. OpenOrbit is not affiliated with or endorsed by NASA.