Astronomy Picture of the Day ·

Unexplained Shocks Around a White Dwarf Star

The Astronomy Picture of the Day for February 16, 2026 is “Unexplained Shocks Around a White Dwarf Star,” an image. It is credited to Image Credit: ESO , K. Iłkiewicz & S. Scaringi et al. ; Text: Cecilia Chirenti ( NASA GSFC , UMCP , CRESST II ). The original explanation runs about 179 words.

A star field shows colorful pill-shaped nebula extending from the bottom left toward the upper right. Colors include, from the outside in, red, green, and blue. Please see the explanation for more detailed information.
Credit: Image Credit: ESO , K. Iłkiewicz & S. Scaringi et al. ; Text: Cecilia Chirenti ( NASA GSFC , UMCP , CRESST II ) Shown from science.nasa.gov. Not hosted by OpenOrbit.

From the explanation

“How is RXJ0528+2838 creating such shock waves? A recently discovered white dwarf star , the farther left of the two largest white spots, RXJ0528+2838 , was found 730 light-years away from Earth .”

— APOD editors, February 16, 2026

Read the full explanation on science.nasa.gov

At a glance

Date
February 16, 2026
Type
Image
Credit
Credit: Image Credit: ESO , K. Iłkiewicz & S. Scaringi et al. ; Text: Cecilia Chirenti ( NASA GSFC , UMCP , CRESST II )
Copyright
No copyright notice on the entry. Check the credited institution’s own usage rules before reusing it.
Explanation length
About 179 words

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

On this day: February 16 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.