Astronomy Picture of the Day · Topic

Asteroids

235 entries from June 30, 1995 to September 23, 2026. Entries that mention asteroids.

How entries are matched: the topic word appears in the title, or at least twice in the explanation. This is an automatic word match, so a few entries may only mention the topic in passing.

Most recent

An image of the lunar surface with a large depression at the center surrounded by raised ridges that slope down back to the surface.

September 23, 2026

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2026 (5)

Sep 23 A New Lunar Crater: McGetchin
Jul 29 Psyche Receives Gravity Assist from Mars Video
Jul 14 Double Lobed Asteroid Torifune
Jun 30 Unusually Smooth Sections of Asteroid Itokawa
Jan 25 Phobos: Doomed Moon of Mars

2025 (8)

Oct 18 3D Bennu
Oct 17 Ida and Dactyl: Asteroid and Moon
Oct 11 Manicouagan Impact Crater from Space
Aug 9 Interstellar Interloper 3I/ATLAS from Hubble
Jul 28 Collision at Asteroid Dimorphos Video
Jul 17 3I/ATLAS
Apr 25 Asteroid Donaldjohanson
Feb 12 Asteroid Bennu Holds the Building Blocks of Life Video

2024 (2)

Dec 12 Phaethon's Brood
May 25 Manicouagan Impact Crater from Space

2023 (12)

Dec 28 Jupiter and the Geminid
Dec 15 Betelgeuse Eclipsed
Nov 4 Dinkinesh Moonrise
Sep 29 Back from Bennu
Sep 21 Tagging Bennu
Jul 14 Comet C/2023 E1 ATLAS near Perihelion
Jun 30 Orbits of Potentially Hazardous Asteroids
May 28 Ida and Dactyl: Asteroid and Moon
Mar 11 3D Bennu
Mar 9 DART vs Dimorphos
Feb 17 2023 CX1 Meteor Flash
Jan 1 The Largest Rock in our Solar System

2022 (5)

Dec 25 Geminids and the Mittens
Oct 5 Expanding Plume from DART's Impact Video
Sep 29 DART Asteroid Impact from Space
Sep 27 DART: Impact on Asteroid Dimorphos Video
Jul 3 Phobos: Doomed Moon of Mars

2021 (5)

Oct 23 3D Bennu
Oct 20 Lucy Launches to Eight Asteroids
Aug 29 Orbits of Potentially Hazardous Asteroids
Feb 13 Stereo Eros
Jan 31 Asteroids in the Distance

2020 (9)

Dec 14 Capsule Returns from Asteroid Ryugu Video
Nov 12 Comet ATLAS and Orion's Belt
Nov 3 Tagging Bennu: The Movie Video
Oct 22 Tagging Bennu
Oct 12 Descending Toward Asteroid Bennu Video
Sep 16 Gravel Ejected from Asteroid Bennu
Sep 1 Salt Water Remnants on Ceres Video
Apr 1 Asteroid or Potato?
Mar 21 Comet ATLAS and the Mighty Galaxies

2019 (10)

Dec 23 Places for OSIRIS-REx to Touch Asteroid Bennu Video
Dec 13 Full Moon Geminids
Nov 18 Passing Asteroid Arrokoth Video
Jun 30 Virtual Flight over Asteroid Vesta Video
Jun 16 Unusual Mountain Ahuna Mons on Asteroid Ceres
May 24 Boulders on Bennu
May 2 Manicouagan Impact Crater from Space
Mar 12 Touchdown on Asteroid Ryugu Video
Feb 11 New Data: Ultima Thule Surprisingly Flat
Jan 29 Ultima Thule from New Horizons

2018 (9)

Dec 13 3D Bennu
Nov 25 Phobos: Doomed Moon of Mars
Nov 20 The Unexpected Trajectory of Interstellar Asteroid 'Oumuamua Video
Nov 13 Rotating Asteroid Bennu from OSIRIS-REx Video
Nov 1 Hayabusa2 Ascends from Asteroid Ryugu Video
Sep 24 Rover 1A Hops on Asteroid Ryugu
Aug 22 Asteroid Ryugu from Hayabusa2
Jun 25 Hayabusa2 Approaches Asteroid Ryugu
May 30 The Case of the Backwards Orbiting Asteroid Video

2017 (5)

Dec 23 Phaethon's Brood
Dec 15 Geminids of the North
Nov 22 'Oumuamua: Interstellar Asteroid
Oct 9 Unusual Mountain Ahuna Mons on Asteroid Ceres
Apr 20 Asteroid 2014 JO25

2016 (5)

Dec 16 Meteors vs Supermoon
Dec 13 Meteors over Four Girls Mountain
Oct 17 An Atlas V Rocket Launches OSIRIS-REx Video
Sep 10 The Launch of OSIRIS-REx
Feb 4 Dwarf Planet Ceres

2015 (9)

Dec 17 Geminids of the South
Dec 11 The Brightest Spot on Ceres
Nov 22 Phobos: Doomed Moon of Mars
Sep 16 Bright Spots Resolved in Occator Crater on Ceres
Jun 30 An Unusual Mountain on Asteroid Ceres
Mar 5 Enhanced Color Caloris
Feb 18 Dark Craters and Bright Spots Revealed on Asteroid Ceres
Jan 29 Close Encounter with M44
Jan 20 Approaching Asteroid Ceres

2014 (2)

Apr 9 Two Rings for Asteroid Chariklo Video
Feb 9 The Missing Craters of Asteroid Itokawa

2013 (7)

Dec 17 Geminid Meteors over Teide Volcano
Nov 12 The Unexpected Tails of Asteroid P5
Aug 12 Orbits of Potentially Hazardous Asteroids
Apr 30 Humanity Explores the Solar System
Feb 21 Gravitational Tractor
Feb 17 Asteroid 2012 DA14 Passes the Earth Video
Feb 10 Asteroids in the Distance

2012 (6)

Nov 6 Methone: Smooth Egg Moon of Saturn
Oct 28 Phobos: Doomed Moon of Mars
Sep 19 Leaving Vesta
Jul 7 Gravitational Tractor
May 14 Virtual Flight Over Asteroid Vesta Video
Apr 24 Rosetta Approaches Asteroid Lutetia Video

2011 (10)

Dec 10 Vesta Rocks
Nov 28 A Landslide on Asteroid Vesta
Nov 9 Asteroid 2005 YU55 Passes the Earth
Oct 1 Asteroids Near Earth
Sep 19 The South Pole of Asteroid Vesta
Aug 20 Stereo Vesta
Aug 2 Asteroid Vesta Full Frame
Jul 19 Vesta Vista
Jun 19 The Regolith of Asteroid Eros
Mar 6 Asteroids in the Distance

2010 (6)

Dec 11 Meteor in the Desert Sky
Jul 26 Lutetia: The Largest Asteroid Yet Visited
Jun 19 Stereo Itokawa
Mar 17 Phobos from Mars Express
Feb 18 Vesta Near Opposition
Feb 3 P/2010 A2: Unusual Asteroid Tail Implies Powerful Collision

2009 (4)

Nov 23 Crescent Earth from the Departing Rosetta Spacecraft
Jul 31 Hubble View: Jupiter Impact
Jun 7 Asteroid Eros Reconstructed
Mar 28 Almahata Sitta 15

2008 (6)

Nov 8 On the Trail of 2008 TC3
Sep 8 Rosetta Spacecraft Passes Asteroid Steins
Jul 10 Enhanced Color Caloris
Apr 14 Phobos: Doomed Moon of Mars
Jan 30 Asteroid 2007 TU24 Passes the Earth
Jan 3 Geminids in 2007

2007 (5)

Sep 29 Dawn Launch Mosaic
Jun 22 Small Worlds Ceres and Vesta
May 25 Jupiter, Vesta, and the Milky Way
Apr 22 Smooth Sections of Asteroid Itokawa
Apr 5 Asteroid and Galaxy

2006 (7)

Dec 3 Phobos: Doomed Moon of Mars
Oct 21 Tombaugh 4
Aug 21 Ceres: Asteroid or Planet?
Aug 20 A Map of Asteroid Vesta
Mar 28 Animation of Asteroids Passing Near Earth
Mar 19 Our Busy Solar System
Jan 1 The Largest Rock in the Solar System

2005 (8)

Dec 28 Smooth Sections on Asteroid Itokawa
Nov 21 The Missing Craters of Asteroid Itokawa
Nov 16 A Robot's Shadow on Asteroid Itokawa
Nov 10 Gravitational Tractor
Sep 19 Approaching Asteroid Itokawa
Aug 18 Sylvia, Romulus and Remus
Apr 17 Asteroids in the Distance
Feb 12 NEAR at Eros: Before Touchdown

2004 (6)

Nov 19 Phobos: Doomed Moon of Mars
Oct 2 Toutatis Nears Planet Earth
Oct 1 Earth Nears Asteroid Toutatis
Jun 19 Ida and Dactyl: Asteroid and Moon
Apr 22 Comet C/2002 T7 (LINEAR)
Mar 22 Asteroid 2004 FH Whizzes By

2003 (3)

Oct 15 Space Rock SQ222 Noticed After Pass
Apr 6 Phobos: Doomed Moon of Mars
Mar 1 Stereo Eros

2002 (10)

Dec 31 A Year of Assessing Astronomical Hazards
Nov 13 Asteroid Annefrank
Oct 27 Asteroid Gaspra's Best Face
Oct 9 Quaoar: Large Asteroid in the Outer Solar System
Sep 19 Asteroid 1998 KY26
Aug 17 Asteroid 2002 NY40
Jul 24 Our Busy Solar System
Jun 30 Ida and Dactyl: Asteroid and Moon
Jun 23 Asteroids in the Distance
Mar 3 The Regolith of Asteroid Eros

2001 (13)

Dec 24 Asteroid 1998 WT24 Passes Near Earth
Oct 9 The Past of Asteroid Eros
Aug 24 NEAR at Eros: Before Touchdown
Aug 18 Phobos: Doomed Moon of Mars
Aug 13 A Piece of Interplanetary Dust
Jun 5 Asteroid Eros Reconstructed
May 21 Another Comet LINEAR Breaks Up
Mar 5 Survivor: NEAR Shoemaker On Asteroid Eros
Feb 13 NEAR Spacecraft Survives Landing on Asteroid Eros
Feb 12 Approaching Asteroid Eros
Feb 11 Near-Shoemaker Views Eros
Feb 6 Touchdown Site on Asteroid Eros
Jan 22 A Two-toned Crater on Asteroid Eros

2000 (23)

Nov 1 Double Asteroid 90 Antiope
Oct 27 Close To Eros
Oct 26 The Map Of Eros
Aug 29 The Regolith of Asteroid Eros
Aug 24 Eros At Sunset
Aug 3 22 Miles From Eros
Jul 27 Tails Of Comet LINEAR
Jul 21 Eros Craters And Boulders
May 25 Eros Horizon View
May 10 Dog-Bone Shaped Asteroid 216 Kleopatra
Apr 17 Flying Over Asteroid Eros' West End
Mar 27 Flying Over Asteroid Eros
Mar 16 NEAR Shoemaker Views Eros
Mar 8 Nearer To Asteroid Eros
Feb 26 Impact: 65 Million Years Ago
Feb 24 Stereo Eros
Feb 21 A Giant Gouge on Asteroid Eros
Feb 16 Eros From Orbit
Feb 14 An Unexpected Asteroid Valentine
Feb 10 Eros Encounter Nears
Feb 5 NEAR to Asteroid Eros
Jan 28 Astronomy From An F-18
Jan 2 The Largest Rock Known

1999 (4)

1998 (11)

Dec 28 NEAR to Asteroid Eros
Oct 26 An Ion Drive for Deep Space 1
Sep 19 18 Miles From Deimos
Jul 12 Asteroid Gaspra's Best Face
May 31 Phobos: Doomed Moon of Mars
Mar 16 Asteroids in the Distance
Mar 13 Asteroids
Feb 4 A Passing Spaceship Views Earth
Jan 29 The Earth-Moon System
Jan 26 Interplanetary Spacecraft Passes Earth
Jan 1 The Largest Rock Known

1997 (9)

Oct 12 Impact! 65 Million Years Ago
Sep 10 Comet Hale-Bopp Outbound
Sep 8 A Map of Asteroid Vesta
Aug 15 Impact On Europa
Jul 1 Asteroid 253 Mathilde:'s Large Craters
Jun 30 NEAR Mathilde
Jun 29 Ida and Dactyl: Asteroid and Moon
Jun 18 Asteroid 3753: Earth's Curious Companion
Jan 20 Earth Nears Asteroid Toutatis

1996 (7)

1995 (4)

Oct 20 Asteroid Gaspra's Best Face
Oct 2 Phobos: Doomed Moon of Mars
Jul 9 A Meteoric View of Apollo 13
Jun 30 Ida and Dactyl: Asteroid and Moon

Source

Astronomy Picture of the Day — NASA Science, science.nasa.gov/apod/archive

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