                        Astronomy Picture of the Day

    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 January 27
       A person stands in the distance on a snowy landscape shining a
    flashlight on the ground. Trees and snow capped mountains are on the
      horizon. In the starry sky above, several iconic red nebulas are
     visible. Please see the explanation for more detailed information.

                   Orion's Treasures over Snowy Mountains
   Image Credit & Copyright: Włodzimierz Bubak; Text: Ogetay Kayali (MTU)

   Explanation: Rising over a frozen valley in the Tatra Mountains, the
   familiar stars and nebulas of Orion dominate this wide-field
   nightscape. The featured deep photo was taken in southern Poland's
   highest mountain range last month, where dark skies and alpine terrain
   combined to reveal both Earth's rugged beauty and the structure of our
   galaxy. Above the snowy mountains, Orion's bright belt stars anchor a
   region of glowing interstellar clouds. The Great Orion Nebula, a vast
   stellar nursery visible even to the unaided eye, shines near the center
   of the scene. Surrounding it is the enormous arc of Barnard's Loop, a
   faint shell of ionized hydrogen gas spanning much of the constellation.
   To the left, the round Rosette Nebula glows softly, while the grayish
   Witch Head Nebula hovers to the right, illuminated by nearby starlight.
   Near the top, the orange supergiant Betelgeuse marks the hunter's
   shoulder.

                    Tomorrow's picture: reflecting Orion
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       Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
            NASA Official: Amber Straughn Specific rights apply.
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                           NASA Science Activation
                             & Michigan Tech. U.

