Astronomy Picture of the Day · February 2026

APOD, February 2026

28 entries from February 2026: 28 images and 0 videos. 19 carry a copyright notice from the credited creator.

Several craters are visible on a tan surface. The largest crater, on the right, has internal markings that make it look like a winking face with a smile. Please see the explanation for more detailed information. February 1, 2026

Galle: Happy Face Crater on Mars

Image Credit: NASA , MGS , MSSSA complex nebula is shown that is mostly blue and red on the left half and mostly brown on the right. Several bright stars are visible, and many filaments run through, in particular on brown dust filamnents on the image right. Please see th February 2, 2026 · Copyrighted

Orion: The Running Man Nebula

Image Credit & Copyright: Robert G. Lyons ( Robservatory )A dense starfield surrounds a blue and red nebula that stretches from the lower left to the upper right. The outer parts of the nebula are blue and filamentary, while the innermost part is red and bright. Please see the explanation for more February 3, 2026

Red Spider Planetary Nebula from Webb

Image Credit: ESA/Webb , NASA & CSA , J. H. Kastner ( RIT )A spiral galaxy is shown that seems to have rings in place of spiral arms. The outer ring is blue and filled with stars, while the inner ring is more red. The center has a vertical bar. Please see the explanation for more detailed informati February 4, 2026 · Copyrighted

Spiral Galaxy NGC 1512: Wide Field

Image Credit & Copyright: Daniel SternNGC 1275 in the Perseus Cluster February 5, 2026 · Copyrighted

NGC 1275 in the Perseus Cluster

Image Credit & Copyright: Michal Wierzbinski , Hellas-SkySupernova Remnant Cassiopeia A February 6, 2026

Supernova Remnant Cassiopeia A

Image Credit: NASA , ESA , CSA , STScI ; D. Milisavljevic (Purdue University), T. Temim (Princeton University), I. De Looze (University of Gent)Crescent Enceladus February 7, 2026

Crescent Enceladus

Image Credit: Cassini Imaging Team , SSI , JPL , ESA , NASAMost of the Sun is pictured peeking over a hill. On the surface of the Sun are several sunspots including a very large sunspot region toward the center-right. Please see the explanation for more detailed information. February 8, 2026 · Copyrighted

Active Sunspot Region 4366 Crosses the Sun

Image Credit & Copyright: Daniel KoronaAn unusual gray body looks like a more jaggged version of the Earth's moon, but close up. Craters and stripes run across much of the surface. Please see the explanation for more detailed information. February 9, 2026

Miranda Revisited

Image Credit: NASA , JPL , Voyager 2 ; Processing & License: Flickr: zelario12 ; Text: Keighley Rockcliffe ( NASA GSFC , UMBC CSST , CRESST II )A person with the arms raised stands atop of a rock peak covered in snow. Snow covered mountains are all around. Green aurora swirl overhead and reflect off the snow. Please see the explanation for more detailed information. February 10, 2026 · Copyrighted

In Green Company: Aurora over Norway

Image Credit & Copyright: Max RiveAn image of the Sun is surrounded by 12 smaller Sun images. Each surrounding image has some spots on it, but the large central image has the most dark spots. Please see the explanation for more detailed information. February 11, 2026 · Copyrighted

A Year of Sunspots

Image Credit: NASA , SDO ; Processing & Copyright: Şenol Şanli & Uğur İkizler ; Text: Cecilia Chirenti ( NASA GSFC , UMCP , CRESST II )The Bay of Rainbows February 12, 2026 · Copyrighted

The Bay of Rainbows

Image Credit & Copyright: Olaf FilzingerNGC 147 and NGC 185 February 13, 2026 · Copyrighted

NGC 147 and NGC 185

Image Credit & Copyright: Chuck AyoubRoses are Red February 14, 2026 · Copyrighted

Roses are Red

Image Credit & Copyright: Raffaele Calcagno Text: Keighley Rockcliffe ( NASA GSFC , UMBC CSST , CRESST II )An astronaut is seen hovering over the Earth. In the top part of the image, the astronaut is seen against the darkness of space. In the lower part of the image, the Earth is bright blue with white clouds. Please see the explanation for more February 15, 2026

To Fly Free in Space

Image Credit: NASA , STS-41BA star field shows colorful pill-shaped nebula extending from the bottom left toward the upper right. Colors include, from the outside in, red, green, and blue. Please see the explanation for more detailed information. February 16, 2026

Unexplained Shocks Around a White Dwarf Star

Image Credit: ESO , K. Iłkiewicz & S. Scaringi et al. ; Text: Cecilia Chirenti ( NASA GSFC , UMCP , CRESST II )A star field shows a bright comet with its head on the lower left and tails extending toward the upper right. A background galaxy is visible on the far right. Please see the explanation for more detailed information. February 17, 2026 · Copyrighted

Tails of Comet Wierzchoś

Image Credit & Copyright: José J. Chambó ; Text: Cecilia Chirenti ( NASA GSFC , UMCP , CRESST II )A starfield is shown filled with red glowing gas. On the right is a blue-glowing complex nebula, while on the left there is a long encircling arc of red gas. Please see the explanation for more detailed information. February 18, 2026 · Copyrighted

Orion's Cradle

Image Credit & Copyright: Piotr CzerskiIC 2574: Coddington's Nebula February 19, 2026 · Copyrighted

IC 2574: Coddington's Nebula

Image Credit & Copyright: Dane VetterA starfield with a light, orange-tinged background has a dark nebula that looks like a flying ghost visible near the middle. Please see the explanation for more detailed information. February 20, 2026 · Copyrighted

B93: A Dark Interstellar Ghost

Image Credit & Copyright: Christian Bertincourt ; Text: Keighley Rockcliffe ( NASA GSFC , UMBC CSST , CRESST II )Twilight with Moon and Planets February 21, 2026 · Copyrighted

Twilight with Moon and Planets

Image Credit & Copyright: Tunc Tezel ( TWAN )A black and white image shows an unusual landscape with a bright ridge across the top and texture like small sand dunes. The shadow of something unusual dominates the image center. Wheels are visible at the bottom of the image. near the mid February 22, 2026

Shadow of a Martian Robot

Image Credit: NASA , JPL , Mars Exploration Rover MissionA cluster of blue stars is seen against a starfield of brown and clumpy dust. The stars illuminate some of the nearby dust which causes the dust to glow blue. Please see the explanation for more detailed information. February 23, 2026 · Copyrighted

Pleiades: The Seven Sisters Star Cluster

Image Credit & Copyright: Kamil FiedosiukThe featured image shows four planets lined up behind the Sydney Opera House in Australia. The image was taken one morning in April 2022, just before sunrise. Please see the explanation for more detailed information. February 24, 2026 · Copyrighted

Planet Parade over Sydney Opera House

Image Credit & Copyright: Prasun AgrawalA starfield is shown with an unusual orange object in the center. Surrounding this object are blue rings and four thick jets. Please see the explanation for more detailed information. February 25, 2026 · Copyrighted

The Egg Nebula from the Hubble Telescope

Image Credit & Copyright: ESA/Hubble & NASA , B. Balick ( U. Washington )Webb and Hubble: IC 5332 February 26, 2026

Webb and Hubble: IC 5332

Image Credit: ESA/Webb , NASA , CSA , J. Lee and the PHANGS-JWST and PHANGS-HST Teams Text: Cecilia Chirenti ( NASA GSFC , UMCP , CRESST II )Sharpless 249 and the Jellyfish Nebula February 27, 2026 · Copyrighted

Sharpless 249 and the Jellyfish Nebula

Image Credit & Copyright: Katelyn BeecroftLunar Occultation of Mercury February 28, 2026 · Copyrighted

Lunar Occultation of Mercury

Image Credit & Copyright: Fabrizio Melandri

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