Astronomy Picture of the Day · July 2026

APOD, July 2026

31 entries from July 2026: 27 images and 4 videos. 16 carry a copyright notice from the credited creator.

A handful of different types of clouds splatter across the image, with bright stars embedded within. Dust blocks some parts of the clouds. Many small stars cover the background, with a cluster of them sitting in the bottom right beneath all July 1, 2026 · Copyrighted

The Cotton Candy Clouds of Rho Ophiuchi

Image Credit & Copyright: Ángel Molina Text: Keighley Rockcliffe ( NASA GSFC , UMBC CSST , CRESST II )Against a bright field of stars, a yellow nebula with blue details, a purple filament on the left and a bright star on the right. July 2, 2026

Sibling Supernova Remnants

Image Credit: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and M. Michailidis et al. 2026; optical: DSS ; infrared: NASA / WISE / JPL – Caltech / UCLA ; ultraviolet: NASA / Swift Text: Cecilia Chirenti ( NASA GSFC , UMCP , CRESST II )Three Galaxies in Pavo July 3, 2026 · Copyrighted

Three Galaxies in Pavo

Image Credit & Copyright: Mike SelbyPathfinder on Mars July 4, 2026

Pathfinder on Mars

Image Credit: Mars Pathfinder , JPL , NASAAn unusually colored ball is shown against a dark background. The ball has numerous craters but a very large cratered near the lower center. Much of the ball is light colored, but around the right and top it is green-brown, with a border ar July 5, 2026

Saturn's Iapetus: Painted Moon

Image Credit: NASA , ESA , JPL , SSI , Cassini Imaging TeamA distant person stands on a rocky landscape. Above is a starry sky. Rising up from the horizon on either side of the person are bright arching spires. Please see the explanation for more detailed information. July 6, 2026 · Copyrighted

Dueling Bands over the Atacama Desert

Image Credit & Copyright: Julien LootenThe featured image shows the nebulae NGC 6188 and NGC 6164. The former is a star forming region near the image center filled with glowing gas and laced with dust that resembles dragons. The smaller NGC 6164 is seen on the lower right is an July 7, 2026 · Copyrighted

NGC 6188: Dragons of Ara

Image Credit & Copyright: Rod PrazeresVideo July 8, 2026 · Video

Swift Boost Mission

Image Credit: Katalyst Space Text: Cecilia Chirenti ( NASA GSFC , UMCP , CRESST II )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 July 9, 2026 · Copyrighted

The Red Glow of the Cosmic Bat Nebula

Image Credit & Copyright: Humbert Cédric Text: Keighley Rockcliffe ( NASA GSFC , UMBC CSST , CRESST II )Western Moon, Eastern Sea July 10, 2026 · Copyrighted

Western Moon, Eastern Sea

Image Credit & Copyright: Guy BardonMessier 24: Sagittarius Star Cloud July 11, 2026 · Copyrighted

Messier 24: Sagittarius Star Cloud

Image Credit & Copyright: Chuck AyoubA starfield surrounds a complex background galaxy. The galaxy center is surrounded by numerous shells, some circular and concentric, but others colorful and filamentary. Please see the explanation for more detailed information. July 12, 2026

Galaxy NGC 474: Shells and Star Streams

Image Credit & License: CFHT , Coelum , MegaCam , J.-C. Cuillandre ( CFHT ) & G. A. Anselmi ( Coelum )Video July 13, 2026 · Video

Auroras from Space

Image Credit: ESA , NASA , ISS Expedition 74 ; Capture: Sophie Adenot ; Music: Circle of Light ( Patrick Hawes & Grace Davidson )A large rocky object floats in dark space. The object is gray and has many small protrusions. Please see the explanation for more detailed information. July 14, 2026 · Copyrighted

Double Lobed Asteroid Torifune

Image Credit & Copyright: JAXA , U. of Tokyo , Chiba Tech , Tokyo U. of Science , AIST , Paris Obs. , IACLightning spreads like roots from a tree up into the atmosphere from the top of a cloud. Stars are scattered across the night sky above and the desert sits below the cloud deck. July 15, 2026 · Copyrighted

Gigantic Jet Over the Tatacoa Desert

Image Credit & Copyright: Mario Vargas Text: Keighley Rockcliffe ( NASA GSFC , UMBC CSST , CRESST II )A bright spiral galaxy shows stars and colorful clous of gas in red, green and blue colors. The background is a dark field of stars. July 16, 2026 · Copyrighted

NGC 300: A Cosmic Gemstone with Stars and Gas Clouds

Image Credit & Copyright: Team Ciel Austral Text: Cecilia Chirenti ( NASA GSFC , UMCP , CRESST II )The Dust Trail of Comet Tempel 2 July 17, 2026 · Copyrighted

The Dust Trail of Comet Tempel 2

Image Credit & Copyright: Dan BartlettShadow and Rainbow July 18, 2026

Shadow and Rainbow

Image Credit & License: Dave LoschiavoThe featured image shows the disk from NASA's Genesis Mission embedded in sand with two helicopters visible in the distance. Please see the explanation for more detailed information. July 19, 2026

Flying Saucer Crash Lands in Utah Desert

Image Credit: USAF 388th Range Sqd., Genesis Mission , NASAThe featured image shows the star forming nebula NGC 3576 in multiple false colors. A central dust structure may appear similar to the Statue of Liberty. Please see the explanation for more detailed information. July 20, 2026 · Copyrighted

NGC 3576: The Statue of Liberty Nebula

Image Credit & Copyright: Logan CarpenterAn orange landscape is seen with many darker rocks visible in the foreground. Toward the image top is a large rock outcrop with orange sand on top. The outcrop may appear to resemble a large turtle. Please see the explanation for more detai July 21, 2026

Turtle Rock on Mars

Image Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / MSSS ; Processing & License : Thomas ThomopoulosBoth dense and whispy clouds streak across the left side of the image with bright stars peaking through. A few stars stand out as brighter than the rest. A tight cluster of stars sits to the top right of the image. The background is covered July 22, 2026

The Corona Australis Molecular Cloud and the Chandelier Cluster

DES/DOE/FNAL/DECam/CTIO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA; Processing: T.A. Rector (UAA/NOIRLab), R. Colombari & M. Zamani (NOIRLab)A galaxy with stars and colorful clouds of gas.. The background is a dark field of stars. July 23, 2026

The Large Magellanic Cloud

Monica MesaA faint, reddish emission nebula seen against a starry background. July 24, 2026 · Copyrighted

RCW 86: Historical Supernova Remnant

Image Credit & Copyright: David CowlandA telescopic view of the Moon's Mare Tranquillitatis and Mare Serenitatis. July 25, 2026 · Copyrighted

Tranquility and Serenity

Image Credit & Copyright: Nyêrdson FerreiraVideo July 26, 2026 · Video

Simulation TNG50: A Galaxy Cluster Forms

Video Credit: IllustrisTNG Project; Visualization: Dylan Nelson (Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics) et al. Music: Symphony No. 5 (Ludwig van Beethoven), via YouTube Audio LibraryA starfield is shown with a big light bubble in the center. To some, the bubble may resemble a skull. Please see the explanation for more detailed information. July 27, 2026

NGC 7635: The Bubble Nebula

Paweł PiechnikA pair of snow topped volcanoes are seen in the distance. A background starry sky is seen behind them, with a red filamentary nebula looping around that appears to connect the two tops of the volcanoes. July 28, 2026

Barnards Loop over Twin Volcanoes

Gonzalo Laserna VargasPsyche Receives Gravity Assist from Mars July 29, 2026 · Video

Psyche Receives Gravity Assist from Mars

NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/True Story FilmsA deep red sun shows several sunspots. Clouds and haze are visible. July 30, 2026 · Copyrighted

Red Sun through Wildfire Smoke

Image Credit and Copyright: Debra CeravoloA telescopic image of a dark nebula. July 31, 2026 · Copyrighted

NGC 4372 and the Dark Doodad

Alessandro Cipolat Bares

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