Astronomy Picture of the Day ·

Three Sky Arches over Snowy Alps

The Astronomy Picture of the Day for April 21, 2026 is “Three Sky Arches over Snowy Alps,” an image. The picture is copyrighted by its creator (Image Credit & Copyright: Angel Fux). The original explanation runs about 160 words.

A starry sky is seen above snowy mountains. In the sky three arches are visible, with the Milky Way on either side and zodiacal light in the center. Please see the explanation for more detailed information.
Credit: Image Credit & Copyright: Angel Fux Copyrighted Shown from science.nasa.gov. Not hosted by OpenOrbit.

From the explanation

“Why are there three arches across the sky instead of two? Last month, after being dropped off by a helicopter at a high mountain peak in the Alps near the Swiss Italian border, an adventurous astrophotographer expected two arches of our Milky Way galaxy to be visible during the night.”

— APOD editors, April 21, 2026

Read the full explanation on science.nasa.gov

At a glance

Date
April 21, 2026
Type
Image
Credit
Credit: Image Credit & Copyright: Angel Fux
Copyright
Copyrighted by the credited creator. Ask the copyright holder before reusing it.
Explanation length
About 160 words

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

Topics in this entry

The Milky WayGalaxies

Topics are matched from words in the title and explanation.

On this day: April 21 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.