Astronomy Picture of the Day ·

Io in True Color

The Astronomy Picture of the Day for January 20, 2026 is “Io in True Color,” an image. It is credited to Image Credit: NASA , JPL , Galileo Project. The original explanation runs about 138 words.

A big ball that is mostly yellow is shown. The ball has many circular and irregular regions that are different colors, typically brown or olive green. Please see the explanation for more detailed information.
Credit: Image Credit: NASA , JPL , Galileo Project Shown from science.nasa.gov. Not hosted by OpenOrbit.

From the explanation

“The strangest moon in the Solar System is bright yellow. The featured picture , an attempt to show how Io would appear in the “true colors” perceptible to the average human eye, was taken in 1999 July by the Galileo spacecraft that orbited Jupiter from 1995 to 2003.”

— APOD editors, January 20, 2026

Read the full explanation on science.nasa.gov

At a glance

Date
January 20, 2026
Type
Image
Credit
Credit: Image Credit: NASA , JPL , Galileo Project
Copyright
No copyright notice on the entry. Check the credited institution’s own usage rules before reusing it.
Explanation length
About 138 words

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Topics in this entry

Jupiter

Topics are matched from words in the title and explanation.

On this day: January 20 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.