Sisters

 

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows Messier 45, popularly known as the Seven Sisters, or, more classically, as the Pleiades. This open cluster is visible to the naked eye in the Northern Hemisphere late Fall through early Spring and yields even more wonders in a pair of binoculars or a low-power and wide-field telescope.

Great Spirals

 Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows Messier 101, the Pinwheel Galaxy, a spiral galaxy in the constellation of Ursa Major (the Great Bear, part of which is the Big Dipper). The image above is a composite, combining light from various frequencies, to tease out the structures embedded in this galaxy.

The Galactic Dark

 Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day depicts a astronomical mystery. Each of these galaxies spins (as they all do). These galaxies spin so fast that they should fly apart. Why don't they? Possibly due to dark matter. How to solve the mystery? Maybe the James Webb Space Telescope will shine a light on the matter.

And It's Blue

 Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day focuses in on the heart of Messier 8, the Lagoon Nebula. And look, the lagoon is blue!

Shepherd Moon

 

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows one of Saturn's "shepherd moons", Daphnis. Surfing around the rings of Saturn, you can see the "waves" it makes in those rings.

Bright Candle

 Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows The Flame Nebula, NGC 2024, in the constellation of Orion. The image above combines data from multiple wavelengths; click on the link to toggle between the images.

The Coming of the Martians

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows an overexposed Mars and a overexposed 51 Ophiuchi. Look carefully around the "halo" of Mars, at about 1:00 PM on the "clock dial" and you'll spot Comet Siding Spring (C/2013 A1) making a close approach to the Red Planet.