Astronomy Picture of the Day · October 20, 2026

An Anticrepuscular Rainbow Fan

The Astronomy Picture of the Day for October 20, 2026 is “An Anticrepuscular Rainbow Fan,” an image. The picture is copyrighted by its creator (Aurelia Degli Esposti). The original explanation runs about 132 words.

Hills are seen in the distance below a partly cloudy sky. A group of orange rays appears to eminate from one area behind the hills. Across this fan of rays, near the top of the image, a short rainbow can be seen. Please see the explanation — Credit & Copyright: Aurelia Degli Esposti Copyrighted Shown from science.nasa.gov. Not hosted by OpenOrbit.

From the explanation

“This is an unusual rainbow. For one thing, the rainbow is not complete, appearing only in a sunlit fan — but that by itself is not very unusual.”

— APOD editors, October 20, 2026

Read the full explanation on science.nasa.gov

At a glance

Date: October 20, 2026
Type: Image
Credit: Credit & Copyright: Aurelia Degli Esposti
Copyright: Copyrighted by the credited creator. Ask the copyright holder before reusing it.
Explanation length: About 132 words

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Source

Astronomy Picture of the Day, October 20, 2026 — science.nasa.gov/image-article/apod-2026-october-20-an-anticrepuscular-rainbow-fan

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.