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 January 29
    [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest
                        resolution version available.

                         NGC 2442: Galaxy in Volans
                 Image Credit & [3]Copyright: [4]Mike Selby

   Explanation: [5]Distorted galaxy NGC 2442 can be found in the southern
   constellation of the flying fish, (Piscis) [6]Volans. Located about 50
   million light-years away, the galaxy's two spiral arms extending from a
   pronounced central bar give it a hook-shaped appearance in this deep
   and colorful image, with foreground stars scattered across the
   telescopic field of view. The image also reveals the distant galaxy's
   obscuring dust lanes, young blue star clusters and [7]reddish star
   forming regions surrounding a core of yellowish light from an older
   population of stars. But the star forming regions seem more
   concentrated along the drawn-out (upper right) [8]spiral arm. The
   distorted structure is likely the result of an ancient [9]close
   encounter with a smaller galaxy that lies off top left of the frame.
   [10]This telescopic field of view spans over 200,000 light-years at the
   estimated distance of NGC 2442.

                        Tomorrow's picture: stardust
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    Authors & editors: [22]Robert Nemiroff ([23]MTU) & [24]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([25]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Amber Straughn [26]Specific rights apply.
            [27]NASA Web Privacy, [28]Accessibility, [29]Notices;
                A service of: [30]ASD at [31]NASA / [32]GSFC,
                         [33]NASA Science Activation
                           & [34]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2601/NGC-2442-rev-1-crop-18-Jan-2026_2048.jpg
   3. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
   4. https://throughlightandtime.com/about/
   5. https://esahubble.org/news/heic1108/
   6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volans
   7. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap061123.html
   8. http://cass.ucsd.edu/public/tutorial/Galaxies.html
   9. http://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/9701015
  10. https://throughlightandtime.com/ngc-2442-lrgb-ha-rev-1-crop-cdk-1000-18-jan-2026/
  11. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260128.html
  12. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  15. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  17. https://apod.com/feed.rss
  18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  20. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=260129
  21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260130.html
  22. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  23. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  24. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  25. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  27. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  28. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/
  29. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/
  30. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  31. https://www.nasa.gov/
  32. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  33. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  34. http://www.mtu.edu/