Astronomy Picture of the Day · January 5, 2026

The Red Rectangle Nebula from Hubble

The Astronomy Picture of the Day for January 5, 2026 is “The Red Rectangle Nebula from Hubble,” an image. It is credited to Image Credit: NASA , ESA , Hubble ; Processing & License: Judy Schmidt. The original explanation runs about 185 words.

A dark field surrounds a red nebula. The shape of the nebula appears like the letter — Credit: Image Credit: NASA , ESA , Hubble ; Processing & License: Judy Schmidt Shown from science.nasa.gov. Not hosted by OpenOrbit.

From the explanation

“How was the unusual Red Rectangle nebula created? At the nebula’s center is an aging binary star system that surely powers the nebula but does not, as yet, explain its colors.”

— APOD editors, January 5, 2026

Read the full explanation on science.nasa.gov

At a glance

Date: January 5, 2026
Type: Image
Credit: Credit: Image Credit: NASA , ESA , Hubble ; Processing & License: Judy Schmidt
Copyright: No copyright notice on the entry. Check the credited institution’s own usage rules before reusing it.
Explanation length: About 185 words

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Topics in this entry

Nebulae Hubble Space Telescope

Topics are matched from words in the title and explanation.

On this day: January 5 in other years

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Source

Astronomy Picture of the Day, January 5, 2026 — science.nasa.gov/image-article/apod-2026-january-5-the-red-rectangle-nebula-from-hubble

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.