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 June 3
     [2]Wispy clouds of dust and gas in the Milky Way obscure the image.
    Milky Way stars are scattered across the image. Andromeda is a tight
    spiral of gas, dust, and stars that occupies the middle background. A
     couple smaller galaxies look like small bright clumps of stars near
                                 Andromeda.

                       Andromeda Through Gas and Dust
                   Image Credit & Copyright: [3]Nick Fritz
   Text: [4]Keighley Rockcliffe ([5]NASA [6]GSFC, [7]UMBC CSST, [8]CRESST
                                     II)

   Explanation: Over 1000 years ago, Persian astronomer [9]Abd al-Rahman
   al-Sufi published humanity’s oldest known record of [10]the Andromeda
   Galaxy in "The Book of Fixed Stars" ([11]Bodleian Library MS. Marsh 144
   p. 167). 800 years later, Andromeda became [12]the 31st entry in
   Charles Messier’s "[13]Catalogue of Nebulae and Star Clusters". From “a
   small cloud” to “nebula” and now known to be [14]our nearest major
   galaxy, Andromeda has remained a fundamental astronomical object.
   [15]Today’s image, taken over 202 hours, shows how far we have come in
   our ability to observe our neighbor. [16]The diffuse red and blue
   clouds are mostly foreground ionized hydrogen and oxygen well within
   our [17]Milky Way. Pink-red clouds of hydrogen [18]ionized by the
   energetic light of young stars trace the galaxy’s [19]dusty spiral
   arms. [20]M32 and [21]M110 are [22]satellite galaxies pictured orbiting
   the larger Andromeda. Despite its long history of observation through
   ancient unaided eyes to modern telescopes, Andromeda still holds
   countless secrets that astronomers will continue to search for,
   including how galaxies [23]merge and evolve, as well as the nature of
   the [24]dark matter that galaxies reside in.

        Teachers! the [25]NASA/IPAC Teacher Archive Research Program
                    is officially open for applications!
                   Tomorrow's picture: a cosmic buckyball
     __________________________________________________________________

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    Authors & editors: [37]Robert Nemiroff ([38]MTU) & [39]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([40]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Amber Straughn [41]Specific rights apply.
            [42]NASA Web Privacy, [43]Accessibility, [44]Notices;
                A service of: [45]ASD at [46]NASA / [47]GSFC,
                         [48]NASA Science Activation
                           & [49]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2606/andromeda.png
   3. https://www.instagram.com/astro_fritz/
   4. https://kerockcliffe.com/
   5. https://science.gsfc.nasa.gov/sci/bio/keighley.e.rockcliffe
   6. https://www.nasa.gov/goddard/
   7. https://csst.umbc.edu/directory/
   8. https://cresst2.umd.edu/
   9. https://blog.sciencemuseum.org.uk/updating-stars-and-observing-the-andromeda-galaxy/
  10. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap950724.html
  11. https://digital.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/objects/c1caa84c-f6d2-483f-9eb4-2439cccdc801/surfaces/2df22eed-a07a-4410-8c8a-b765865fbc67/
  12. https://science.nasa.gov/mission/hubble/science/explore-the-night-sky/hubble-messier-catalog/messier-31/
  13. https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k6514280n/f235.item
  14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap200426.html
  15. https://www.instagram.com/p/DY4obGBkcAV/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
  16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250804.html
  17. https://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/science/objects/milkyway1.html
  18. https://www.astronomy.com/science/i-read-that-ultraviolet-light-is-the-cause-of-hii-regions-but-this-light-is-invisible-so-why-are-these-objects-the-color-red/
  19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap231007.html
  20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap991103.html
  21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap080909.html
  22. https://astrobites.org/2013/01/26/the-curious-case-of-andromedas-satellites/
  23. https://science.nasa.gov/universe/galaxies/evolution/
  24. https://science.nasa.gov/dark-matter/
  25. https://nitarp.ipac.caltech.edu/
  26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260602.html
  27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  29. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  30. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  31. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  32. https://apod.com/feed.rss
  33. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  34. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  35. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=260602
  36. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260604.html
  37. https://www.mtu.edu/physics/department/faculty/nemiroff/
  38. https://www.mtu.edu/physics/
  39. https://inspirehep.net/authors/1073087
  40. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  41. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  42. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  43. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/
  44. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/
  45. https://science.gsfc.nasa.gov/astrophysics/
  46. https://www.nasa.gov/
  47. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  48. https://science.nasa.gov/learn/about-science-activation/
  49. http://www.mtu.edu/