Astronomy Picture of the Day

   [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                                2026 April 4
    [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest
                        resolution version available.

                                 Hello World
             Image Credit: [3]NASA, [4]Reid Wiseman, Artemis II

   Explanation: [5]From pole to pole our fair planet is captured in this
   snapshot from space, an evocative image from a window of the Orion
   spacecraft Integrity. [6]From the [7]spacecraft's perspective the Sun
   is moving behind Earth's bright limb along the lower right. Africa and
   the Iberian peninsula are in view on the pale blue planet's surface,
   while aurorae crown Earth's [8]south and [9]north poles at top right
   and bottom left. Commander Reid Wiseman took the historic picture on
   Artemis II [10]mission flight day 2 (April 2), after the completion of
   the planned translunar injection burn. That burn boosted the spacecraft
   [11]out of Earth orbit, sending Integrity and crew on a trajectory that
   will take them [12]around the Moon and back again. [13]That's a journey
   humans last made over [14]50 years ago.

                    Tomorrow's picture: starburst spiral
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    Authors & editors: [26]Robert Nemiroff ([27]MTU) & [28]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([29]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Amber Straughn [30]Specific rights apply.
            [31]NASA Web Privacy, [32]Accessibility, [33]Notices;
                A service of: [34]ASD at [35]NASA / [36]GSFC,
                         [37]NASA Science Activation
                           & [38]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2604/art002e000192.jpg
   3. https://www.nasa.gov/
   4. https://www.nasa.gov/feature/our-artemis-crew/
   5. https://www.nasa.gov/image-detail/fd02_for-pao/
   6. https://www.nasa.gov/missions/artemis-ii/arow/
   7. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230513.html
   8. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240913.html
   9. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240118.html
  10. https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/missions/2026/04/02/artemis-ii-flight-day-2-orion-completes-tli-burn-crew-begins-journey-to-the-moon/
  11. https://www.nasa.gov/
  12. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap051210.html
  13. https://www.nasa.gov/humans-in-space/artemis/
  14. https://www.nasa.gov/the-apollo-program/
  15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260403.html
  16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  19. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  21. https://apod.com/feed.rss
  22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  24. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=260404
  25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260405.html
  26. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  27. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  28. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  29. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  30. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  31. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  32. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/
  33. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/
  34. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  35. https://www.nasa.gov/
  36. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  37. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  38. http://www.mtu.edu/