Image of the Day Archives

Image of the Day archives
For older Image of the Day pictures, please visit the Image of the Day archives. Pictured: NGC 2467. (Image credit: NASA, ESA and Orsola De Marco (Macquarie University))

Each day we highlight a spectacular picture from space. See space exploration photos, astronaut pictures and more in our Image of the Day galleries.

Related Topics: Black Holes, Aurora Borealis, Stargazer Photos, International Space Station, Meteors, Shooting Stars and Fireballs

Latest about image of the day archives

A white, snowy artic landscape has large swirling patterns with small holes or gaps at their center with what appears to be dark water underneath.

Mesmerizing vortexes swirl near an Antarctic volcano | Space photo of the day for May 12, 2026

By Chelsea Gohd published

The arctic winds have created something truly stunning.

Earth
A small robot Lego figurine stands to the left of a miniature space capsule, both sitting in reddish dirt.

They really launched this tiny spacecraft (Well, sort of.) | Space photo of the day for May 11, 2026

By Chelsea Gohd published

It's the tiniest Mars test we've seen yet.

Mars
A space capsule with charred black on its bottom sits inside of a tall clean room.

The charred hull of Artemis 2's Orion | Space photo of the day for May 8, 2026

By Chelsea Gohd published

NASA's Artemis 2 Orion spacecraft rests after its flight around the moon, charred from the return to Earth.

13 Comments
Human Spaceflight
On the upper righthand side of this image of the black of space is a small rock that is actually Jupiter's Moon Thebe.

Moon joy at Jupiter | Space photo of the day for May 7, 2026

By Chelsea Gohd published

NASA's Juno spacecraft captured a photo of Jupiter's moon Thebe.

5 Comments
Jupiter
A close-up of the heads side of a penny covered in Mars dust.

Why does NASA's Curiosity rover have a 'lucky penny' on Mars? | Space photo of the day for May 6, 2026

By Chelsea Gohd published

Providing good luck to the first Martian to find it.

3 Comments
Mars Rovers
a tall cylindrical spacecraft wrapped in gold foil can be seen through a round door in a large metal chamber

Moon lander preps for the lunar surface | Space photo of the day for May 5, 2026

By Chelsea Gohd published

Blue Origin's MK1 moon lander has passed its tests in the vacuum chamber as NASA continues to develop the hardware needed to return astronauts to the moon.

4 Comments
Private Spaceflight
four bright yellow lines of light extend up into a starry night sky

Lasers take aim at a galaxy far, far away | Space photo of the day for May 4, 2026

By Brett Tingley published

Looking like a scene out of "Star Wars," this image shows the ESO's Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI) beaming four separate lasers into the sky towards the Tarantula Nebula.

Astronomy
A black and white image of the landscape of Mars with crescent-shaped dunes.

Ice melts in the springtime on Mars | Space photo of the day for April 24, 2026

By Chelsea Gohd published

Springtime has arrived at the Red Planet's Chasma Boreale, as this photo by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter shows.

Mars
colorful clouds of gas on a starry background

Nebula sparkles in new Hubble snapshot | Space photo of the day for April 23, 2026

By Chelsea Gohd published

Hubble revisits the Trifid Nebula in a spectacular image, revealing it's expansive splendor.

2 Comments
Hubble Space Telescope
This is an image of Earth captured in space.

Celebrate Earth Day with this Artemis 2 shot | Space photo of the day for April 22, 2026

By Chelsea Gohd published

Celebrating Earth Day with an image of Earth captured by NASA's Artemis 2 mission around the moon.

5 Comments
Earth
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