Astronomy Picture of the Day · January 2026

APOD, January 2026

31 entries from January 2026: 30 images and 1 videos. 18 carry a copyright notice from the credited creator.

Auroral Corona January 1, 2026 · Copyrighted

Auroral Corona

Image Credit & Copyright: Roi LeviNanoSail-D2 January 2, 2026 · Copyrighted

NanoSail-D2

Image Credit & Copyright: Ralf VandeberghFull Moonlight January 3, 2026 · Copyrighted

Full Moonlight

Image Credit & Copyright: Zhengjie Wu and Jeff Dai ( TWAN )A faint galaxy near the center of the image shows four bright spots near its center. Please see the explanation for more detailed information. January 4, 2026

The Einstein Cross Gravitational Lens

Image Credit & License: NSF , NOIRLab , AURA , WIYN ; Processing: J. Rhoads ( Arizona State U. ) et al.A dark field surrounds a red nebula. The shape of the nebula appears like the letter January 5, 2026

The Red Rectangle Nebula from Hubble

Image Credit: NASA , ESA , Hubble ; Processing & License: Judy SchmidtThe planet Jupiter is shown from an unusual angle. Most prominent are a miasma of jumbled and swirling clouds including many oval storms. Please see the explanation for more detailed information. January 6, 2026

Jupiter's Clouds in High Definition from Juno

Image Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / SwRI / MSSS ; Processing & License : Thomas ThomopoulosA starfield surrounds a giant red nebula. The nebula has so many winding filaments that it has been dubbed the Spaghetti Nebula. Please see the explanation for more detailed information. January 7, 2026 · Copyrighted

Simeis 147: The Spaghetti Nebula Supernova Remnant

Image Credit & Copyright: Saverio FerrettiIC 342: Hidden Galaxy in Camelopardalis January 8, 2026 · Copyrighted

IC 342: Hidden Galaxy in Camelopardalis

Image Credit & Copyright: Gaetan MaxantIce Halos by Moonlight and Sunlight January 9, 2026 · Copyrighted

Ice Halos by Moonlight and Sunlight

Image Credit & Copyright: Antonella CicalaJupiter with the Great Red Spot January 10, 2026 · Copyrighted

Jupiter with the Great Red Spot

Image Credit & Copyright: Christopher GoA red-tinged ring of dust is seen nearly on edge. In the ring's center and extending around the frame, blue gas and stars are shown. Please see the explanation for more detailed information. January 11, 2026

M104: The Sombrero Galaxy in Infrared

Image Credit: NASA , JPL , Caltech , SSC , R. Kennicutt ( Steward Obs. ) et al.,A view of mountains over clouds shows a starfield with a purple glow. Prominent on the right is the trail of a bright meteor. To the left of the meteor and connecting to the meteor is something unusual: a light brown triangular puff. Please January 12, 2026 · Copyrighted

Meteor Dust

Image Credit & Copyright: Xu ChenVideo January 13, 2026 · Video

A Solar Eruption from SDO

Video Credit: NASA , SDO , AIA , Helioviewer ; Processing & Text: Ogetay Kayali ( MTU )A big spiral galaxy fills the frame, complete with blue spiral arms dotted with red dust and nebulas. Above the spiral galaxy is another more diffuse galaxy that has faint wisps extending in many directions. Please see the explanation for m January 14, 2026 · Copyrighted

M51: The Whirlpool Galaxy

Image Credit & Copyright: Michael SleemanPlato and the Lunar Alps January 15, 2026 · Copyrighted

Plato and the Lunar Alps

Image Credit & Copyright: Luigi MorroneNGC 7023: The Iris Nebula January 16, 2026 · Copyrighted

NGC 7023: The Iris Nebula

Image Credit & Copyright: Justus FalkApollo 14: A View from Antares January 17, 2026

Apollo 14: A View from Antares

Image Credit: Edgar Mitchell, Apollo 14 , NASA ; Mosaic – Eric M. JonesThe featured image shows Jupiter in infrared light as captured by the James Webb Space Telescope. Visible in unusually dark colors are Jupiter's clouds including the Great Red Spot, a ring, several moons, and bright aurora. Please see the e January 18, 2026

Jupiter from the Webb Space Telescope

Image Credit: NASA , ESA , CSA , Jupiter ERS Team ; Processing: Ricardo Hueso ( UPV/EHU ) & Judy SchmidtA colorful starfield surrounds a giant nearly-spherical nebula that has texture and stripes like watermelon. The lower right of the nebula is open making it appear like a medulla oblongata -- the stem that connects to a brain. Please see th January 19, 2026

CTB 1: The Medulla Nebula

Image Credit: Pierre KonzelmannA big ball that is mostly yellow is shown. The ball has many circular and irregular regions that are different colors, typically brown or olive green. Please see the explanation for more detailed information. January 20, 2026

Io in True Color

Image Credit: NASA , JPL , Galileo ProjectBarred Spiral Galaxy NGC 1365 from Webb January 21, 2026

Barred Spiral Galaxy NGC 1365 from Webb

Image Credit: NASA , ESA , CSA , Janice Lee ( NOIRLab ) – Processing: Alyssa Pagan ( STScI )LDN 1622: Dark Nebula in Orion January 22, 2026 · Copyrighted

LDN 1622: Dark Nebula in Orion

Image Credit & Copyright: Chris FellowsPlanetary Nebula Abell 7 January 23, 2026 · Copyrighted

Planetary Nebula Abell 7

Image Credit & Copyright: Martin PughEarthset from Orion January 24, 2026

Earthset from Orion

Image Credit: NASA , Artemis 1A large irregularly shaped object is shown that is mostly brown and shows many craters. Please see the explanation for more detailed information. January 25, 2026

Phobos: Doomed Moon of Mars

Image Credit: NASA , LPL (U. Arizona) , MRO , HiRISEA galaxy is shown that has a lot of blue and red dots in it. The galaxy is an long elliptical blob across the middle and not a classic spiral. Please see the explanation for more detailed information. January 26, 2026 · Copyrighted

NGC 55: A Galaxy of Nebulas

Image Credit & Copyright: Wolfgang Promper ; Text: Ogetay Kayali ( MTU )A person stands in the distance on a snowy landscape shining a flashlight on the ground. Trees and snow capped mountains are on the horizon. In the starry sky above, several iconic red nebulas are visible. Please see the explanation for mor January 27, 2026 · Copyrighted

Orion's Treasures over Snowy Mountains

Image Credit & Copyright: Włodzimierz Bubak ; Text: Ogetay Kayali ( MTU )In a starfield glowing red, several features stand out. On the right is a diffuse white band, and on the upper right is some dark dust. Most prominently, though, are two blue structures in the center, one of which has a dark band running ac January 28, 2026 · Copyrighted

M78: Reflecting Blue in a Sea of Red

Image Credit & Copyright: Daniel McCauleyNGC 2442: Galaxy in Volans January 29, 2026 · Copyrighted

NGC 2442: Galaxy in Volans

Image Credit & Copyright: Mike SelbyNGC 1333: Stellar Nursery in Perseus January 30, 2026 · Copyrighted

NGC 1333: Stellar Nursery in Perseus

Image Credit & Copyright: Robert EderArtemis I: Flight Day 13 January 31, 2026

Artemis I: Flight Day 13

Image Credit: NASA , Artemis I

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