Astronomy Picture of the Day · April 2026

APOD, April 2026

30 entries from April 2026: 26 images and 4 videos. 20 carry a copyright notice from the credited creator.

Large clouds of interstellar gas and dust of various shapes and sizes cover the image. A cloud shaped like a bubble sits atop the image, while a cloud shaped like a claw is in the middle. April 1, 2026 · Copyrighted

The Claw and Bubble Nebulae

Image Credit & Copyright: Richard Whitehead Text: Keighley Rockcliffe ( NASA GSFC , UMBC CSST , CRESST II )A towering rocket ignites and lifts off from acoastal launch pad at dusk, its bright plume of fire and exhaust illuminating thick clouds of smoke spreading accross the ground. April 2, 2026 · Copyrighted

Liftoff! Returning to the Moon

Image Credit & Copyright: NASA/Bill Ingalls ; Text: Ogetay Kayali ( MTU )Illustration showing a binary black hole close to merger in front of the Tarantula Nebula. Please see the explanation for more detailed information. April 3, 2026 · Copyrighted

Caught in the Web: Visualization of a Black Hole Merger in the Tarantula Nebula

Illustration Credit & Copyright: Artwork: Carl Knox ( OzGrav , Swinburne University of Technology ); Astrophotography: Blake Estes & Christian Sasse , iTelescope.net ; Text: Cecilia Chirenti ( NASA GSFC , UMCP , CRESST II )Hello World April 4, 2026

Hello World

Image Credit: NASA , Reid Wiseman, Artemis IIA starfield has a spiral galaxy in the center. Around the galaxy is a light blue faint halo. One of the spiral arms juts out at about 11 o'clock. The galaxy center is red, white, and quite bright. Please see the explanation for more detaile April 5, 2026 · Copyrighted

NGC 3310: A Starburst Spiral Galaxy

Image Credit & Copyright: AAO ITSO Office , Gemini Obs. / AURA & T. A. Rector ( U. Alaska Anchorage )Video April 6, 2026 · Video

The Path of Artemis II

Video Credit: NASA , GSFC , Artemis II , SVSA starfield surrounds a large nebula that is mostly brown and blue and has an appearance reminiscent of the head of a horse. This nebula is not the more famous Horsehead Nebula. Please see the explanation for more detailed information. April 7, 2026 · Copyrighted

IC 4592: The Blue Horsehead Reflection Nebula

Image Credit & Copyright: Rabeea AlkuwariEarthset captured through the Orion spacecraft window at 6:41 p.m. EDT, April 6, 2026, during the Artemis II crew’s flyby of the Moon. A muted blue Earth with bright white clouds sets behind the cratered lunar surface. The dark portion of E April 8, 2026

Earthset

Image Credit: NASA Text:Keighley Rockcliffe (NASA GSFC, UMBC CSST, CRESST II)Video April 9, 2026 · Video

Destruction of Comet C/2026 A1 (MAPS)

Video Credit: Brian Day , SOHO , SDO , JHelioviewer Text: Cecilia Chirenti ( NASA GSFC , UMCP , CRESST II )Exploring the Antennae April 10, 2026 · Copyrighted

Exploring the Antennae

Image Credit & Copyright: Acquisition – Mike Selby Processing – Roberto ColombariArtemis II: Flight Day 6 April 11, 2026

Artemis II: Flight Day 6

Image Credit: NASA , Artemis IIA starry night is seen above foreground mountains. Toward the right is a comet with its head near the bottom center and a long tail extending toward the upper right. Please see the explanation for more detailed information. April 12, 2026 · Copyrighted

Comet R3 (PanSTARRS) Brightens

Image Credit & Copyright: José RodriguesA starfield surrounds a large light-brown nebula that has several dust pillars. In the center of the nebula are many bright blue stars. Some distant galaxies are visible through and around the nebula. Please see the explanation for more det April 13, 2026

NGC 602 and Beyond

Image Credit: NASA , ESA , and the Hubble Heritage Team ( STScI / AURA ) – ESA /Hubble CollaborationA star field surrounds a bright comet with a long tail. The green coma of the comet is seen on the lower left, while the light blue ion tail extends to the upper right and shows wavey structure. Please see the explanation for more detailed April 14, 2026 · Copyrighted

The Long Wispy Tail of Comet R3 (PanSTARRS)

Image Credit & Copyright: Haythem HamdiThe relatively small International Space Station sits atop the image, about to transit in front of the illuminated Moon. Please see the explanation for more detailed information. April 15, 2026 · Copyrighted

The ISS Transits the Moon

Image Credit & Copyright: Sébastien Borie Text: Keighley Rockcliffe ( NASA GSFC , UMBC CSST , CRESST II )A dead tree branch on the foreground appears to support a spinning wheel of stars on the night sky. Please see the explanation for more detailed information. April 16, 2026 · Copyrighted

South Celestial Tree

Image Credit & Copyright: Kiko Fairbairn Text: Cecilia Chirenti ( NASA GSFC , UMCP , CRESST II )M82: Starburst Galaxy with a Superwind April 17, 2026 · Copyrighted

M82: Starburst Galaxy with a Superwind

Image Credit & Copyright: Arnaud MallevalPanSTARRS and Planets April 18, 2026 · Copyrighted

PanSTARRS and Planets

Image Credit & Copyright: Luc Perrot ( TWAN )The image shows land on the left and a star filled sky on the right. Prominent in the sky is the band of our Milky Way Galaxy. On the left is a small circular lake that reflects some of the stars in the sky. Together, the land and lake look April 19, 2026 · Copyrighted

Eye on the Milky Way

Image Credit & Copyright: Miguel Claro ( TWAN , Dark Sky Alqueva )A starry sky is seen above two tree-covered mountains that slope up on both sides of the image. In the central valley the head of a comet is seen, with a long tail flowing nearly vertically upward toward the top of the tall frame. Please se April 20, 2026 · Copyrighted

Comet R3 PanSTARRS over a Himalayan Valley

Image Credit & Copyright: Basudeb Chakrabarti & Samit SahaA starry sky is seen above snowy mountains. In the sky three arches are visible, with the Milky Way on either side and zodiacal light in the center. Please see the explanation for more detailed information. April 21, 2026 · Copyrighted

Three Sky Arches over Snowy Alps

Image Credit & Copyright: Angel FuxEarthset with an iPhone April 22, 2026 · Video

Earthset with an iPhone

Video Credit: NASA, Reid Wiseman Text: Keighley Rockcliffe ( NASA GSFC , UMBC CSST , CRESST II )The image shows a circle with bands of different colors, missing two opposite pizza slices, on a dark background. An inset presents a zoomed-in view of the center, showing a fine, feathery structure. April 23, 2026

Large Scale Structure of the Universe

Image Credit: Claire Lamman / DESI collaboration Text: Cecilia Chirenti ( NASA GSFC , UMCP , CRESST II )Young Moon and Sister Stars April 24, 2026 · Copyrighted

Young Moon and Sister Stars

Image Credit & Copyright: Giorgia HoferThe Persistence of Sunlight April 25, 2026 · Copyrighted

The Persistence of Sunlight

Image Credit & Copyright: Lorenzo BusilacchiThe featured image shows a large pillar of dust and gas in the Carina Nebula. The pillar has many humps and several jets. Please see the explanation for more detailed information. April 26, 2026

Mystic Mountain Monster being Destroyed

Image Credit: Hubble , NASA , ESA ; Processing & License: Judy SchmidtA night sky filled with lines and dashed-lines appears above a hilly landscape featuring a distant lit-up tower. Near the center of the image is a comet shown by its small green coma and ion tail to the upper right. Please see the explanati April 27, 2026 · Copyrighted

Comet R3 PanSTARRS Behind Satellite Trails

Image Credit & Copyright: Uli FehrA star field with a few red wisps surrounds a nebula that has many several dark components each of which has a dark head closer to the top of the image. A red glow is brightest near the top of each component. Please see the explanation for April 28, 2026 · Copyrighted

CG 30: Cometary Globules

Image Credit & Copyright: Marcelo SalemmeThe crescent Moon, Venus, and the Pleiades travel across the twilight sky. The silhouettes of a few beach flowers decorate the foreground. April 29, 2026 · Copyrighted

The Moon, Venus, and the Pleiades

Image Credit & Copyright: Gianni Tumino Text: Keighley Rockcliffe ( NASA GSFC , UMBC CSST , CRESST II )Video April 30, 2026 · Video

Waves on Titan

Video Credit: Una Schneck Text: Cecilia Chirenti ( NASA GSFC , UMCP , CRESST II )

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