image of the day

Latest about image of the day

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
stars swirl in space.

Artemis 2 moon astronauts snap gorgeous shot of swirling stars | Space photo of the day for May 18, 2026

By Chelsea Gohd published

What a view from the Orion capsule.

Artemis
A circular, yellow honeycomb pattern reflector that is semi-transparent overlaps in front of the left third of Earth against the black of space.

Earth photobombs a satellite deploying its giant reflector | Space photo of the day for May 14, 2026

By Chelsea Gohd published

ViaSat's ViaSat-3 F2 satellite has bloomed.

4 Comments
Satellites

The Whirlpool Galaxy comes alive | Space photo of the day for May 13, 2026

By Chelsea Gohd published

M51, also known as the Whirlpool Galaxy, looks incredible in this new snap by the James Webb Space Telescope.

Astrophysics
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
On the upper righthand side of this image of the black of space is a small rock that is actually Jupiter's Moon Thebe.

Moon joy at Jupiter | Space photo of the day for May 7, 2026

By Chelsea Gohd published

NASA's Juno spacecraft captured a photo of Jupiter's moon Thebe.

5 Comments
Jupiter
A close-up of the heads side of a penny covered in Mars dust.

Why does NASA's Curiosity rover have a 'lucky penny' on Mars? | Space photo of the day for May 6, 2026

By Chelsea Gohd published

Providing good luck to the first Martian to find it.

5 Comments
Mars Rovers
a tall cylindrical spacecraft wrapped in gold foil can be seen through a round door in a large metal chamber

Moon lander preps for the lunar surface | Space photo of the day for May 5, 2026

By Chelsea Gohd published

Blue Origin's MK1 moon lander has passed its tests in the vacuum chamber as NASA continues to develop the hardware needed to return astronauts to the moon.

4 Comments
Private Spaceflight
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