Image of the Day Archives

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a long white rocket sits horizontal inside a hanger with its nose cone open, exposing a satellite with many components and actuators folded up into a dense rectangular shape
Satellite-boosting spacecraft inside air-launched rocket | Space photo of the day for June 12, 2026

By Brett Tingley Published

A spacecraft was recently prepped for encapsulation inside of its rocket at one of NASA's launch facilities ahead of its launch to save another satellite.

2 Comments
Launches & Spacecraft
Bright green and red auroras are seen over Earth from space.
Astronaut captures snake-like auroras from a SpaceX Dragon | Space photo of the day for June 9, 2026

By Chelsea Gohd Published

NASA astronaut Jessica Meir captured a breathtaking view of auroras on Earth from orbit while sheltering with her fellow astronauts in a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft.

Human Spaceflight
four bright yellow beams of light project from bottom left to top right on a starry background
Laser beams blast through the cosmos | Space photo of the day for May 27, 2026

By Chelsea Gohd Published

Fear not, these lasers are just doing science.

Astronomy
The small Orion capsule faces away on the left and two nearly-identical rocket boosters are on the right.
Seeing double with the Artemis 2 rocket boosters | Space photo of the day for May 26, 2026

By Chelsea Gohd Published

The two boosters hang out mid-air after separation.

Human Spaceflight
the top portion of the image is black followed by a bright red and orange band of color which blends into an ombre of blue into black at the bottom of the image.
Nothing beats a beautiful sunset (from space) | Space photo of the day for May 25, 2026

By Chelsea Gohd Published

Earth
a large stone is cracked in such a way as to appear like three stones stacked on one another
Strange stacked stones spotted on Mars | Space photo of the day for May 21, 2026

By Chelsea Gohd Published

NASA's Perseverance Mars rover has stumbled across an unusual sight: a stack of rocks on the Martian surface.

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Mars
an eight-pointed star of bright red and white light on a purple swirl of gas
Galactic starlight will take your breath away | Space photo of the day for May 19, 2026

By Chelsea Gohd Published

The galaxy M77 looks truly out-of-this-world in a new image by the James Webb Space Telescope.

Astronomy
A white, snowy artic landscape has large swirling patterns with small holes or gaps at their center with what appears to be dark water underneath.
Mesmerizing vortexes swirl near an Antarctic volcano | Space photo of the day for May 12, 2026

By Chelsea Gohd Published

The arctic winds have created something truly stunning.

3 Comments
Earth
A small robot Lego figurine stands to the left of a miniature space capsule, both sitting in reddish dirt.
They really launched this tiny spacecraft (Well, sort of.) | Space photo of the day for May 11, 2026

By Chelsea Gohd Published

It's the tiniest Mars test we've seen yet.

Mars
A space capsule with charred black on its bottom sits inside of a tall clean room.
The charred hull of Artemis 2's Orion | Space photo of the day for May 8, 2026

By Chelsea Gohd Published

NASA's Artemis 2 Orion spacecraft rests after its flight around the moon, charred from the return to Earth.

13 Comments
Human Spaceflight
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