Astronomy Picture of the Day ·

South Celestial Tree

The Astronomy Picture of the Day for April 16, 2026 is “South Celestial Tree,” an image. The picture is copyrighted by its creator (Image Credit & Copyright: Kiko Fairbairn Text: Cecilia Chirenti ( NASA GSFC , UMCP , CRESST II )). The original explanation runs about 166 words.

A dead tree branch on the foreground appears to support a spinning wheel of stars on the night sky. Please see the explanation for more detailed information.
Credit: Image Credit & Copyright: Kiko Fairbairn Text: Cecilia Chirenti ( NASA GSFC , UMCP , CRESST II ) Copyrighted Shown from science.nasa.gov. Not hosted by OpenOrbit.

From the explanation

“If you live in the northern hemisphere , you may have learned how to locate the North Star, Polaris , in the night sky. It can be used to find north, and it approximately marks the northern celestial pole .”

— APOD editors, April 16, 2026

Read the full explanation on science.nasa.gov

At a glance

Date
April 16, 2026
Type
Image
Credit
Credit: Image Credit & Copyright: Kiko Fairbairn Text: Cecilia Chirenti ( NASA GSFC , UMCP , CRESST II )
Copyright
Copyrighted by the credited creator. Ask the copyright holder before reusing it.
Explanation length
About 166 words

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On this day: April 16 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.