Astronomy Picture of the Day · July 9, 2026

The Red Glow of the Cosmic Bat Nebula

The Astronomy Picture of the Day for July 9, 2026 is “The Red Glow of the Cosmic Bat Nebula,” an image. The picture is copyrighted by its creator (Image Credit & Copyright: Humbert Cédric Text: Keighley Rockcliffe ( NASA GSFC , UMBC CSST , CRESST II )). The original explanation runs about 118 words.

There is a dark cloud of gas and dust resembling a bat with outstretched wings in the middle of the image. Two spots appear to glow from within where there are young stars. A different more diffuse glow appears to outline just below the bat — Credit: Image Credit & Copyright: Humbert Cédric Text: Keighley Rockcliffe ( NASA GSFC , UMBC CSST , CRESST II ) Copyrighted Shown from science.nasa.gov. Not hosted by OpenOrbit.

From the explanation

“This Cosmic Bat wishes you a happy Summerween ! This mid-year celebration of Halloween transcends hemispheres, even though summer in the Northern hemisphere is winter in the South.”

— APOD editors, July 9, 2026

Read the full explanation on science.nasa.gov

At a glance

Date: July 9, 2026
Type: Image
Credit: Credit: Image Credit & Copyright: Humbert Cédric 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 118 words

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

Topics in this entry

Nebulae

Topics are matched from words in the title and explanation.

On this day: July 9 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

Astronomy Picture of the Day, July 9, 2026 — science.nasa.gov/image-article/apod-2026-july-9-the-red-glow-of-the-cosmic-bat-nebula

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.