Astronomy Picture of the Day ·

The Claw and Bubble Nebulae

The Astronomy Picture of the Day for April 1, 2026 is “The Claw and Bubble Nebulae,” an image. The picture is copyrighted by its creator (Image Credit & Copyright: Richard Whitehead Text: Keighley Rockcliffe ( NASA GSFC , UMBC CSST , CRESST II )). The original explanation runs about 143 words.

Large clouds of interstellar gas and dust of various shapes and sizes cover the image. A cloud shaped like a bubble sits atop the image, while a cloud shaped like a claw is in the middle.
Credit: Image Credit & Copyright: Richard Whitehead Text: Keighley Rockcliffe ( NASA GSFC , UMBC CSST , CRESST II ) Copyrighted Shown from science.nasa.gov. Not hosted by OpenOrbit.

From the explanation

“What unexpected things do you see when you look up at the night sky? Today’s image resembles an abstract painting , with large swaths of color strewn across a cosmic canvas seemingly without design.”

— APOD editors, April 1, 2026

Read the full explanation on science.nasa.gov

At a glance

Date
April 1, 2026
Type
Image
Credit
Credit: Image Credit & Copyright: Richard Whitehead Text: Keighley Rockcliffe ( NASA GSFC , UMBC CSST , CRESST II )
Copyright
Copyrighted by the credited creator. Ask the copyright holder before reusing it.
Explanation length
About 143 words

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Topics in this entry

Nebulae

Topics are matched from words in the title and explanation.

On this day: April 1 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.