Astronomy Picture of the Day ·

Liftoff! Returning to the Moon

The Astronomy Picture of the Day for April 2, 2026 is “Liftoff! Returning to the Moon,” an image. The picture is copyrighted by its creator (Image Credit & Copyright: NASA/Bill Ingalls ; Text: Ogetay Kayali ( MTU )). The original explanation runs about 141 words.

A towering rocket ignites and lifts off from acoastal launch pad at dusk, its bright plume of fire and exhaust illuminating thick clouds of smoke spreading accross the ground.
Credit: Image Credit & Copyright: NASA/Bill Ingalls ; Text: Ogetay Kayali ( MTU ) Copyrighted Shown from science.nasa.gov. Not hosted by OpenOrbit.

From the explanation

“We are one small step closer to returning to the Moon. A new chapter in human exploration began yesterday when NASA’s Artemis II launched aboard the Space Launch System (SLS) from Kennedy Space Center .”

— APOD editors, April 2, 2026

Read the full explanation on science.nasa.gov

At a glance

Date
April 2, 2026
Type
Image
Credit
Credit: Image Credit & Copyright: NASA/Bill Ingalls ; Text: Ogetay Kayali ( MTU )
Copyright
Copyrighted by the credited creator. Ask the copyright holder before reusing it.
Explanation length
About 141 words

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Topics in this entry

The MoonOrion

Topics are matched from words in the title and explanation.

On this day: April 2 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.