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 May 8
     [2]A starfield appears with three large objects. Near the top is a
   bright star. Near the middle is a small light blue nebula. And near the
    bottom is a comet with its long tail extending to the upper left and
    passing in front of both the star and the blue nebula. Please see the
                 explanation for more detailed information.

                       Comet R3 PanSTARRS Before Rigel
   Image Credit & Copyright: [3]Jakub Kuřák & [4]Martin Mašek ([5]FZU of
                       the Czech Academy of Sciences)

   Explanation: Which way is [6]Comet R3 PanSTARRS going? Not towards the
   star at the top of the image, because that is [7]Rigel, which, being
   far in the background, is [8]unrelated to the comet. Not through the
   nebula in the image middle, because that is the [9]Witch Head Nebula
   and it, too, is far in the distance -- but [10]not far from Rigel.  Not
   into northern skies because over the past week Comet [11]C/2025 R3
   (PanSTARRS) has moved into southern skies and is now best visible in
   [12]Earth's [13]Southern Hemisphere toward the west after sunset.
   Angularly, [14]Comet R3 PanSTARRS is slowly moving toward the upper
   right, night by night, and will soon be in the [15]constellation Orion.
   Spatially, the comet is now headed out of our [16]Solar System but
   should remain [17]visible to cameras in southern skies for about a
   week. The [18]featured image was captured last week near [19]Cerro
   Paranal in [20]Chile.

               Growing Gallery: [21]Comet R3 PanSTARRS in 2026
                       Tomorrow's picture: stereo Moon
     __________________________________________________________________

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    Authors & editors: [33]Robert Nemiroff ([34]MTU) & [35]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([36]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Amber Straughn [37]Specific rights apply.
            [38]NASA Web Privacy, [39]Accessibility, [40]Notices;
                A service of: [41]ASD at [42]NASA / [43]GSFC,
                         [44]NASA Science Activation
                           & [45]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2605/CometRigel_Karuk_2851.jpg
   3. https://www.instagram.com/jakubkurak/
   4. https://www.fzu.cz/en/people/mgr-martin-masek
   5. https://www.fzu.cz/en/home
   6. https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/comets/
   7. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230407.html
   8. https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https://i.redd.it/n1kcuhwl80y91.jpg
   9. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap231004.html
  10. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap241031.html
  11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C/2025_R3_(PanSTARRS)
  12. https://science.nasa.gov/earth/facts/
  13. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Hemisphere
  14. https://theskylive.com/c2025r3-info
  15. https://science.nasa.gov/universe/discovering-the-universe-through-the-constellation-orion/
  16. https://eyes.nasa.gov/apps/solar-system/#/home
  17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260420.html
  18. https://www.instagram.com/p/DYCUulairo3/
  19. https://youtu.be/k_LwlwJWZN0
  20. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chile
  21. https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.946613941400517
  22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260507.html
  23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  26. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  28. https://apod.com/feed.rss
  29. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  30. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  31. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=260508
  32. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260509.html
  33. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  34. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  35. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  36. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  37. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  38. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  39. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/
  40. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/
  41. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  42. https://www.nasa.gov/
  43. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  44. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  45. http://www.mtu.edu/