Astronomy Picture of the Day ·

M78: Reflecting Blue in a Sea of Red

The Astronomy Picture of the Day for January 28, 2026 is “M78: Reflecting Blue in a Sea of Red,” an image. The picture is copyrighted by its creator (Image Credit & Copyright: Daniel McCauley). The original explanation runs about 149 words.

In a starfield glowing red, several features stand out. On the right is a diffuse white band, and on the upper right is some dark dust. Most prominently, though, are two blue structures in the center, one of which has a dark band running ac
Credit: Image Credit & Copyright: Daniel McCauley Copyrighted Shown from science.nasa.gov. Not hosted by OpenOrbit.

From the explanation

“In the vast Orion Molecular Cloud complex, several bright blue nebulas are particularly apparent. Pictured here in the center are two of the most prominent reflection nebulas – dust clouds lit by the reflecting light of bright embedded stars .”

— APOD editors, January 28, 2026

Read the full explanation on science.nasa.gov

At a glance

Date
January 28, 2026
Type
Image
Credit
Credit: Image Credit & Copyright: Daniel McCauley
Copyright
Copyrighted by the credited creator. Ask the copyright holder before reusing it.
Explanation length
About 149 words

All of January 2026 → · 2026 by month → · Full archive since 1995 →

Topics in this entry

OrionNebulae

Topics are matched from words in the title and explanation.

On this day: January 28 in other years

On Amazon

Popular picks for space fans

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Electronics Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition 32GB Read astronomy and space-history books anywhere. View on Amazon → Electronics Bose QuietComfort Wireless Headphones Noise-cancelling headphones for documentaries and launch livestreams. View on Amazon →

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.