Astronomy Picture of the Day ·

NGC 7023: The Iris Nebula

The Astronomy Picture of the Day for January 16, 2026 is “NGC 7023: The Iris Nebula,” an image. The picture is copyrighted by its creator (Image Credit & Copyright: Justus Falk). The original explanation runs about 138 words.

NGC 7023: The Iris Nebula
Credit: Image Credit & Copyright: Justus Falk Copyrighted Shown from science.nasa.gov. Not hosted by OpenOrbit.

From the explanation

“These cosmic clouds have blossomed 1,300 light-years away in the fertile starfields of the constellation Cepheus . Called the Iris Nebula, NGC 7023 is not the only nebula to evoke the imagery of flowers .”

— APOD editors, January 16, 2026

Read the full explanation on science.nasa.gov

At a glance

Date
January 16, 2026
Type
Image
Credit
Credit: Image Credit & Copyright: Justus Falk
Copyright
Copyrighted by the credited creator. Ask the copyright holder before reusing it.
Explanation length
About 138 words

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Topics in this entry

Nebulae

Topics are matched from words in the title and explanation.

On this day: January 16 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.