Astronomy Picture of the Day ·

Charon: Moon of Pluto

The Astronomy Picture of the Day for June 6, 2026 is “Charon: Moon of Pluto,” an image. It is credited to Image Credit: NASA , Johns Hopkins Univ./APL , Southwest Research Institute , U.S. Naval Observatory. The original explanation runs about 200 words.

Charon: Moon of Pluto
Credit: Image Credit: NASA , Johns Hopkins Univ./APL , Southwest Research Institute , U.S. Naval Observatory Shown from science.nasa.gov. Not hosted by OpenOrbit.

From the explanation

“A darkened and mysterious north polar region known to some as Mordor Macula caps this premier view of Charon, Pluto’s largest moon . The high-resolution image was captured by the interplanetary space probe New Horizons near its closest approach to distant Pluto on July 14, 2015.”

— APOD editors, June 6, 2026

Read the full explanation on science.nasa.gov

At a glance

Date
June 6, 2026
Type
Image
Credit
Credit: Image Credit: NASA , Johns Hopkins Univ./APL , Southwest Research Institute , U.S. Naval Observatory
Copyright
No copyright notice on the entry. Check the credited institution’s own usage rules before reusing it.
Explanation length
About 200 words

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

Topics in this entry

The Moon

Topics are matched from words in the title and explanation.

On this day: June 6 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.