Astronomy Picture of the Day - Orion's Treasures over Snowy Mountains

NASA ^ | 27 Jan, 2026 | Image Credit & Copyright: Włodzimierz Bubak; Text: Ogetay Kayali (MTU)

[MtnClimber]

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.

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TOPICS: Astronomy; Astronomy Picture of the Day; Science
KEYWORDS: apod; nasa

[MtnClimber]

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[MtnClimber]

[MtnClimber]

[MtnClimber]

Pinging the APOD list

🪐 🌟 🌌 🍔

[blueunicorn6]

Cheeseburgers up in the night sky
Yummy yummy cheeseburgers
Using stars for garnish
Cheeseburgers always make me high

[No name given]

Wow.

[NavyShoe]

I had no idea…

[BenLurkin]

bttt

[kawhill]

I am glad you do what you do...It’s part of the reason I hang here a bit.

[MtnClimber]

Thanks

[doorgunner69]

“Unaided eye”??

I think not

[goodnesswins]

Wow...terrain reminds me of Mazama area in the North Cascades of Washington.