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date large_stringdate 1995-06-16 00:00:00 2026-04-26 00:00:00	title large_stringlengths 4 79	explanation large_stringlengths 21 1.85k ⌀	url large_stringlengths 28 108 ⌀	hdurl large_stringlengths 40 104 ⌀	media_type large_stringclasses 3 values	copyright large_stringlengths 3 1.34k ⌀	thumbnail_url large_stringclasses 292 values	is_public_domain bool 2 classes	year int32 2k 2.03k	month int32 1 12
1995-06-16	Neutron Star Earth	Today's Picture: Explanation: If the Earth could somehow be transformed to the ultra-high density of a neutron star , it might appear as it does in the above computer generated figure. Due to the very strong gravitational field, the neutron star distorts light from the background sky greatly. If you look closely, t...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…image/e_lens.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…image/e_lens.gif	image	null	null	true	1,995	6
1995-06-20	Pleiades Star Cluster	Today's Picture: June 20, 1995 The Pleiades Star Cluster Picture Credit: Mount Wilson Observatory Explanation: The Pleiades star cluster, M45, is one of the brightest star clusters visible in the northern hemisphere. It consists of many bright, hot stars that were all formed at the same time within a large cloud ...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…ge/pleiades2.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…ge/pleiades2.gif	image	null	null	true	1,995	6
1995-06-21	Supernova 1987a Aftermath	Today's Picture: June 21, 1995 The Aftermath of the Great Supernova in 1987 Picture Credit: Hubble Space Telescope Explanation: In 1987 a star in one of the Milky Way's satellite galaxies exploded. In 1994 the Hubble Space Telescope, in orbit around the earth, took a very detailed picture of the remnants of this ...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…/sn1987a_hst.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…/sn1987a_hst.gif	image	null	null	true	1,995	6
1995-06-22	Earth from Apollo 17	In 1972 Astronauts on the United States's last lunar mission, Apollo 17, took this picture looking back at the Earth on their way to the moon. The continents of Antarctica and Africa are visible below the delicate wisps of white clouds. For more information see NASA NSSDC press release. We keep an archive of previous...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…ge/earth_a17.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…ge/earth_a17.gif	image	null	null	true	1,995	6
1995-06-23	Gamma Ray Sky Map	What if you could "see" gamma rays? This computer processed image represents a map of the entire sky at photon energies above 100 million electron Volts. These gamma-ray photons are more than 40 million times more energetic than visible light photons and are blocked from the Earth's surface by the atmosphere. In the ea...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…ge/egret_gro.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…ge/egret_gro.gif	image	null	null	true	1,995	6
1995-06-24	Gamma Ray Crab, Geminga	The Crab Nebula and Geminga in Gamma Rays Picture Credit: NASA, Compton Gamma Ray Observatory Explanation: What if you could "see" in gamma-rays? If you could, these two spinning neutron stars or pulsars would be among the brightest objects in the sky. This computer processed image shows the Crab Nebula pulsar (belo...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…e/gamma_crab.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…e/gamma_crab.gif	image	null	null	true	1,995	6
1995-06-25	Jupiter from Voyager	Today's Picture: June 25, 1995 Jupiter from Voyager Picture Credit: NASA, JPL, NSSDC, Voyager Explanation: Imagine a hurricane that lasted for 300 years! This picture of the planet Jupiter was taken by the Voyager 1 spacecraft as it passed the planet in 1979. Jupiter, a gas giant planet with no solid surface, is ...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…jupiter1_vgr.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…jupiter1_vgr.gif	image	null	null	true	1,995	6
1995-06-26	Spiral Galaxy M100	Today's Picture: June 26, 1995 The Spiral Galaxy M100 Picture Credit: NASA, Hubble Space Telescope Explanation: The M100 galaxy is a large spiral galaxy similar to our own Milky Way, containing over 100 billion stars. It is over 150 million light years away, so the light we see left when dinosaurs roamed the Eart...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…age/m100_hst.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…age/m100_hst.gif	image	null	null	true	1,995	6
1995-06-27	An Ultraviolet Image of M101	Today's Picture: June 27, 1995 An Ultraviolet Image of Messier 101 Picture Credit: NASA, Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UIT) Explanation: This giant spiral galaxy, Messier 101 (M101), was photographed by the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope onboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour during the Astro-2 mission (March 2 - 18,...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…mage/uitm101.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…mage/uitm101.gif	image	null	null	true	1,995	6
1995-06-28	The Cat's Eye Nebula	Today's Picture: June 28, 1995 The Cat's Eye Nebula Picture Credit: NASA, Hubble Space Telescope Explanation: Three thousand light years away, a dying star throws off shells of glowing gas. This Hubble Space Telescope image reveals "The Cat's Eye Nebula" to be one of the most complex "planetary nebulae" known. In...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…mage/catseye.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…mage/catseye.gif	image	null	null	true	1,995	6
1995-06-29	The Earth-Moon System	June 29, 1995 The Earth-Moon System Picture Credit: NASA, JPL, Galileo Project Explanation: A double planet? From 4 million miles away on December 16, 1992, NASA's robot spacecraft Galileo took this picture of the Earth-moon system. The bright, sunlit half of the Earth contrasts strongly with the darker subdued co...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…ge/earthmoon.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…ge/earthmoon.gif	image	null	null	true	1,995	6
1995-06-30	Ida and Dactyl: Asteroid and Moon	June 30, 1995 Ida and Dactyl: Asteroid and Moon Picture Credit: NASA, JPL, Galileo Project Explanation: An asteroid with a moon! The robot spacecraft Galileo whose primary mission is to explore the Jupiter system, has encountered and photographed two asteroids during its long journey to Jupiter. The second asteroi...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…ge/idadactyl.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…ge/idadactyl.gif	image	null	null	true	1,995	6
1995-07-01	The Hooker Telescope on Mt. Wilson	July 1, 1995 The Hooker Telescope on Mt. Wilson Picture Credit: Mount Wilson Observatory Explanation: In the 1920s, pictures from the Hooker Telescope on Mt. Wilson fundamentally changed our understanding of the cosmos. Astronomer Edwin Hubble, using photographs he took with this telescope, demonstrated that the o...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…image/hooker.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…image/hooker.gif	image	null	null	true	1,995	7
1995-07-02	The Cartwheel Galaxy	July 2, 1995 The Cartwheel Galaxy Picture Credit: NASA, Hubble Space Telescope Explanation: The Cartwheel Galaxy shows a ring that is the result of a collision between a small and a large galaxy. After a small galaxy has moved through a big galaxy - in this case one that probably resembled our own Milky Way - a s...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…artwheel_hst.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…artwheel_hst.gif	image	null	null	true	1,995	7
1995-07-03	The Great Nebula in Orion	July 3, 1995 The Great Nebula in Orion Picture Credit: NASA, Hubble Space Telescope Explanation: The Great Nebula in Orion, M42, can be found on the night sky just below and to the left of the easily identifiable belt of three stars in the popular constellation Orion. This nebula is one of the closest stellar nur...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…ge/orion_hst.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…ge/orion_hst.gif	image	null	null	true	1,995	7
1995-07-04	The Firework Nebula	July 4, 1995 The Firework Nebula Picture Credit: WIYN Telescope Explanation: The Firework Nebula, known to astronomers as "GK Per", is the result of a type of stellar explosion called a nova. In a nova, a very compact star called a white dwarf blasts away gas that had accumulated on its surface. In this case the ...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…reworks_wiyn.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…reworks_wiyn.gif	image	null	null	true	1,995	7
1995-07-05	The Night Side of Saturn	July 5, 1995 The Night Side of Saturn Picture Credit: NASA, Jet Propulsion Laboratory,Voyager Project Explanation: This image of Saturn was made in November 1980 by the Voyager 1 spacecraft as it flew past the ringed gas giant planet. From a spectacular vantage point, looking back toward the inner solar system, th...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…saturn_night.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…saturn_night.gif	image	null	null	true	1,995	7
1995-07-06	Saturn, Rings, and Two Moons	July 6, 1995 Saturn, Rings, and Two Moons Picture Credit: NASA, Jet Propulsion Laboratory,Voyager Project Explanation: This image of Saturn was made by NASA's robot spacecraft Voyager 2 as it began to explore the Saturn system in 1981. Saturn's famous rings are visible along with two of its moons, Rhea and Dione w...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…aturn_2moons.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…aturn_2moons.gif	image	null	null	true	1,995	7
1995-07-07	Lunar Farside from Apollo 13	July 7, 1995 Lunar Farside from Apollo 13 Picture Credit: NASA, Crew of Apollo 13 Explanation: In April of 1970, after an explosion damaged their spacecraft, the Apollo 13 astronauts were forced to abandon their plans to make the third manned lunar landing. Still, while coasting around the moon in their desperate ...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…/farside_a13.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…/farside_a13.gif	image	null	null	true	1,995	7
1995-07-08	Damage to Apollo 13	July 8, 1995 Damage to Apollo 13 Picture Credit: NASA, Crew of Apollo 13 Explanation: In April of 1970, after an oxygen tank exploded and damaged their service module, the Apollo 13 astronauts were forced to abandon their plans to make the third manned lunar landing. The extent of the damage is revealed in this pho...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…3_servicemod.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…3_servicemod.gif	image	null	null	true	1,995	7
1995-07-09	A Meteoric View of Apollo 13	July 9, 1995 A Meteoric View of Apollo 13 Picture Credit: Unknown Explanation: Meteors, also called shooting stars, normally begin as bits of dust from the tails of comets or even small pieces chipped off asteroids. Falling toward Earth, these particles enter the atmosphere at extremely high speeds. Friction with t...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…/reenter_a13.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…/reenter_a13.gif	image	null	null	true	1,995	7
1995-07-10	Abell 2218: A Galaxy Cluster Lens	July 10, 1995 Abell 2218: A Galaxy Cluster Lens Picture Credit: NASA, HST, WFPC2, W. Couch (UNSW) Explanation: Sometimes one of the largest concentrations of mass known can act like a lens. Almost all of the bright objects in this image are galaxies in the cluster known as Abell 2218. The cluster is so massive an...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…2218lens_hst.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…2218lens_hst.gif	image	null	null	true	1,995	7
1995-07-11	Microlensing of the Einstein Cross	July 11, 1995 Microlensing of the Einstein Cross Picture Credit: Geraint Lewis and Michael Irwin, William Hershel Telescope Explanation: The famous "Einstein Cross" is a case where a single object is seen four times. Here a very distant QSO happened to be placed right behind a massive galaxy. The gravitational ef...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…icrolens_wht.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…icrolens_wht.gif	image	null	null	true	1,995	7
1995-07-12	Eta Carinae Before Explosion	July 12, 1995 Eta Carinae Before Explosion Picture Credit: NASA, HST, WFPC2, J. Hester (ASU) Explanation: The star Eta Carinae, at the center of the photo, will likely destroy itself in a spectacular explosion in a few million years - or sooner! Currently it is one of the brightest, most massive, and least stable...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…acarinae_hst.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…acarinae_hst.gif	image	null	null	true	1,995	7
1995-07-13	A String Of Pearls	July 13, 1995 A String Of Pearls Picture Credit: NASA, Hubble Space Telescope (courtesy of H. Weaver) Explanation: Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9, named after its co-discoverers, was often referred to as the "string of pearls" comet. It is famous for its unusual appearance as well as its collision with the planet Jupiter...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…ringofpearls.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…ringofpearls.gif	image	null	null	true	1,995	7
1995-07-14	Comet Impacts on Jupiter	July 14, 1995 Comet Impacts on Jupiter Picture Credit: NASA, Hubble Space Telescope Explanation: In July of 1994, pieces of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9, also known as the "string of pearls" comet, collided with the planet Jupiter. As the comet fragments smashed in to Jupiter, the resulting explosions scattered large q...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…ge/jupimpact.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…ge/jupimpact.gif	image	null	null	true	1,995	7
1995-07-15	The Crater Chain	July 15, 1995 The Crater Chain Picture Credit: NASA, Voyager Team Explanation: NASA's robot spaceprobe Voyager 1, took this closeup image of the surface of Jupiter's crater scarred moon Callisto in 1979. A mysterious chain of craters is seen to extend diagonally across the image (upper left to lower right). What ...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…craterchain1.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…craterchain1.gif	image	null	null	true	1,995	7
1995-07-16	The Exploration of Mars	July 16, 1995 The Exploration of Mars Picture Credit: NASA,Viking Project, USGS Explanation: Thirty years ago NASA's exploration of Mars began. In July of 1965 the Mariner 4 spacecraft flew within 6,000 miles of Mars and returned 21 pictures of the mysterious red planet. NASA's continued exploration of Mars has p...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…age/usgsmars.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…age/usgsmars.gif	image	null	null	true	1,995	7
1995-07-17	Barsoom	July 17, 1995 Barsoom Picture Credit: NASA,Viking Project Explanation: "Yes, I have been to Barsoom again ..." begins John Carter in Edgar Rice Burroughs' 1913 science fiction classic "The Gods of Mars". In Burroughs' novels describing Carter's adventures on Mars, "Barsoom" is the local name for the red planet. L...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…mage/barsoom.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…mage/barsoom.gif	image	null	null	true	1,995	7
1995-07-18	Cygnus Loop Supernova Shockwave	July 18, 1995 Cygnus Loop Supernova Shockwave Credit: NASA, HST, WFPC2, Jeff Hester Explanation: 15,000 years ago a star in the constellation of Cygnus exploded. This picture shows a portion of a shockwave from this supernova explosion still expanding past nearby stars. The collision of this gaseous shockwave wi...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…gnusLoop_hst.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…gnusLoop_hst.gif	image	null	null	true	1,995	7
1995-07-19	The Mountains of Mars	July 19, 1995 The Mountains of Mars Picture Credit: NASA,Viking Project Explanation: Volcanic activity on Mars has produced towering mountains. The largest one, Olympus Mons, is pictured here in this Viking Orbiter image. Olympus Mons is a shield volcano nearly 15 miles high and over 300 miles wide at its base. B...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…mage/olympus.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…mage/olympus.gif	image	null	null	true	1,995	7
1995-07-20	The Grand Canyon of Mars	July 20, 1995 The Grand Canyon of Mars Picture Credit: NASA,Viking Project,USGS Explanation: The Mariner Valley, also known as the Valles Marineris canyon system, appears in this mosaic of images from NASA's Viking spacecraft as a huge gouge across the red planet. This "Grand Canyon" of Mars is about 2500 miles l...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…e/grandcanal.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…e/grandcanal.gif	image	null	null	true	1,995	7
1995-07-21	The Search for Life on Mars	July 21, 1995 The Search for Life on Mars Picture Credit: NASA,Viking Project, Explanation: Although images of Mars taken from space revealed the planet to have a barren and cratered surface, scientists did not give up the search for martian life. In 1976 NASA's Viking project succeeded in landing two robot probe...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…e/marslander.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…e/marslander.gif	image	null	null	true	1,995	7
1995-07-22	The Face on Mars	July 22, 1995 The Face on Mars Picture Credit: NASA,Viking Project, Explanation: This image, showing what looks to be a human face sculpted on the martian surface, was produced using data from NASA's Viking 1 orbiter in 1976. Described in a press release as a "face-like hill" it caused some to offer the sensation...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…age/marsface.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…age/marsface.gif	image	null	null	true	1,995	7
1995-07-23	M20: The Trifid Nebula	July 23, 1995 M20: The Trifid Nebula Credit: Hopkins Observatory, Karen Gloria Explanation: The vivid blue and violet colors present in the Trifid Nebula result from the abundance of young stars there. The light from young massive stars is quite blue and has the ability to remove electrons from surrounding gas. ...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…mage/m20_moo.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…mage/m20_moo.gif	image	null	null	true	1,995	7
1995-07-24	M31: The Andromeda Galaxy	July 24, 1995 M31: The Andromeda Galaxy Credit: The Electronic Universe Project Explanation: Andromeda is the nearest major galaxy to our own Milky Way Galaxy. Our Galaxy is thought to look much like Andromeda. Together these two galaxies dominate the Local Group of galaxies. The diffuse light from Andromeda is ...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…ndromeda_moo.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…ndromeda_moo.gif	image	null	null	true	1,995	7
1995-07-25	M1: The Crab Nebula	July 25, 1995 M1: The Crab Nebula Credit: The Electronic Universe Project Explanation: In the year 1054 a star in the constellation of Taurus exploded in a spectacular supernova so bright it appeared to dominate the sky except for the Sun and Moon for many days. It left behind one of the most brilliant nebulae,...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…age/crab_moo.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…age/crab_moo.gif	image	null	null	true	1,995	7
1995-07-26	M15: A Great Globular Cluster	July 26, 1995 M15: A Great Globular Cluster Credit: The Electronic Universe Project Explanation: A globular cluster is a system of about one million stars that together orbit a galaxy. One of the brightest globular clusters in our Milky Way galaxy is the pictured M15, the fifteenth object on Messier's list of di...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…mage/m15_moo.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…mage/m15_moo.gif	image	null	null	true	1,995	7
1995-07-27	M57: The Ring Nebula	July 27, 1995 M57: The Ring Nebula Credit: The Electronic Universe Project, Nelson Caldwell Explanation: A star with mass similar to that of our Sun will throw off its outer gasses after fusion has stopped in its core. Possibly the most visually spectacular of these planetary nebula is the pictured Ring Nebula. T...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…age/ring_moo.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…age/ring_moo.gif	image	null	null	true	1,995	7
1995-07-28	M82: An Irregular Galaxy	July 28, 1995 M82: An Irregular Galaxy Credit: The Electronic Universe Project Explanation: Not all galaxies have spiral structure like our Milky Way. Many have smooth elliptical shapes, but also many have irregular shapes such as the bright sky object M82, the 82nd object on Messier's list. The strange structure...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…mage/m82_moo.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…mage/m82_moo.gif	image	null	null	true	1,995	7
1995-07-29	M27: The Dumbbell Nebula	July 29, 1995 M27: The Dumbbell Nebula Credit: The Electronic Universe Project, Karen Gloria Explanation: The Dumbbell Nebula is a beautiful red and blue planetary nebula in the constellation of Vulpecula. It is the 27th object on Charles Messier's list of diffuse sky objects, and so is referred to as M27. Its h...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…dumbbell_moo.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…dumbbell_moo.gif	image	null	null	true	1,995	7
1995-07-30	The Rings of Saturn	July 30, 1995 The Rings of Saturn Credit: NASA, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Voyager Project Explanation: Saturn's spectacular system of bright rings has been the subject of study and wonder since Galileo first turned his telescope on the ringed planet in 1610. To Galileo, the blurry image produced by his small tel...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…age/satring1.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…age/satring1.gif	image	null	null	true	1,995	7
1995-07-31	Exploring Saturn's Rings	July 31, 1995 Exploring Saturn's Rings Credit: NASA, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Voyager Project Explanation: By watching a star flicker and fade as it passed behind Saturn's rings, NASA's Voyager 2 spacecraft was able explore the ring system in amazing detail. Data produced by Voyager's instruments as the star De...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…age/satring2.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…age/satring2.gif	image	null	null	true	1,995	7
1995-08-01	Crossing The Ring Plane	August 1, 1995 Crossing The Ring Plane Credit: NASA, Hubble Space Telescope Explanation: "I do not know what to say in a case so surprising, so unlooked for and so novel." announced Galileo when Saturn's rings appeared to vanish in 1612. In fact, every 15 years Saturn's rings seem to almost disappear as viewed fr...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…age/satring3.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…age/satring3.gif	image	null	null	true	1,995	8
1995-08-02	Jupiter's Rings	August 2, 1995 Jupiter's Rings Credit: NASA, Voyager Project Explanation: Astronomers using NASA's Voyager spacecraft to search for a ring system around Jupiter discovered these faint rings in 1979. Unlike Saturn's bright rings which are composed of chunks of rock and ice, Jupiter's rings appear to consist of fin...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…age/jupring1.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…age/jupring1.gif	image	null	null	true	1,995	8
1995-08-03	Io: A Volcanic Moon	August 3, 1995 Io: A Volcanic Moon Credit: NASA, Voyager Project Explanation: In 1610, Galileo turned his telescope to the heavens and discovered that the planet Jupiter had four bright moons. The innermost of these Galilean moons, Io, turned out to be one of the most exotic objects in the solar system. About the...	https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/io1.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/io1.gif	image	null	null	true	1,995	8
1995-08-04	Closeup of an Io Volcano	August 4, 1995 Closeup of an Io Volcano Credit: NASA, Voyager Project, Copyright Calvin J. Hamilton Explanation: In 1979, one of NASA's Voyager spacecraft made a spectacular and unexpected discovery. Io, the innermost Galilean moon of Jupiter, was covered with volcanoes and some of them were erupting! In all, Voy...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…image/iovol1.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…image/iovol1.gif	image	null	null	true	1,995	8
1995-08-05	Geysers on Triton	August 5, 1995 Geysers on Triton Credit: NASA, Voyager Project, Copyright Calvin J. Hamilton Explanation: In August of 1989 NASA's Voyager 2 spacecraft passed by Neptune, the most distant of the solar system's gas giant planets. Its encounter with Neptune climaxed with its closest approach to Neptune's largest mo...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…e/tritongey1.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…e/tritongey1.gif	image	null	null	true	1,995	8
1995-08-06	Liftoff of Space Shuttle Columbia	August 6, 1995 Liftoff of Space Shuttle Columbia Credit: NASA, Kennedy Space Center Explanation: On April 12, 1981, space flight entered a new era with the first launch of Space Shuttle Columbia, shown above. NASA's Space Shuttles land like a normal plane, carry a heavy cargo, carry a large crew, make use of ...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…olumbia_sts1.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…olumbia_sts1.gif	image	null	null	true	1,995	8
1995-08-07	Night Launch of Endeavour	August 7, 1995 Night Launch of Endeavour Credit: NASA, Kennedy Space Center Explanation: Space Shuttle Endeavour thunders off into orbit in a rare night launch. This March 1995 mission is most famous for operating the set of astronomical telescopes known as Astro-2. Astro-2's telescopes observed the universe in ...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…ge/endeavour.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…ge/endeavour.gif	image	null	null	true	1,995	8
1995-08-08	Columbia Waits, Discovery Launches	August 8, 1995 Columbia Waits, Discovery Launches Credit: NASA, Kennedy Space Center Explanation: Space Shuttle Discovery launches while the Space Shuttle Columbia is readied for a future mission. Space shuttles are launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. At this date there are four operating space shut...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…ge/discovery.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…ge/discovery.gif	image	null	null	true	1,995	8
1995-08-09	Challenger Launches Spacelab 2	August 9, 1995 Challenger Launches Spacelab 2 Credit: NASA, Kennedy Space Center Explanation: Space Shuttle Challenger jumps off the launch pad in 1985 to begin a successful mission. The main purpose of this mission was to test a new space based laboratory named Spacelab 2. Spacelab 2 takes advantage of the eff...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…e/challenger.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…e/challenger.gif	image	null	null	true	1,995	8
1995-08-10	The Orbiting Hubble Space Telescope	August 10, 1995 The Orbiting Hubble Space Telescope Credit: NASA, Space Telescope Scientific Institute Explanation: The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) is the largest orbiting public optical telescope in history. Its 2.4 meter diameter reflecting mirror and its perch above Earth's atmosphere allow it to create exce...	https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/hst.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/hst.gif	image	null	null	true	1,995	8
1995-08-11	The Compton Gamma Ray Observatory	August 11, 1995 The Compton Gamma Ray Observatory Credit: NASA, Compton Gamma Ray Observatory Science Support Center Explanation: The Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (CGRO) was the most massive instrument ever launched by a NASA Space Shuttle and continues to revolutionize gamma-ray astronomy. This orbiting obser...	https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/gro.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/gro.gif	image	null	null	true	1,995	8
1995-08-12	Atlantis Landing	August 12, 1995 Atlantis Landing Credit: NASA, Kennedy Space Center Explanation: Space Shuttle Atlantis lands at Edwards Air Force Base in California. The Space Shuttle is the first orbital space vehicle to land on a runway like an airplane. Space Shuttles sometimes have the option of landing in White Sands, New...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…tlantis_land.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…tlantis_land.gif	image	null	null	true	1,995	8
1995-08-13	The Sun Erupts	August 13, 1995 The Sun Erupts Credit: NASA, Skylab Explanation: The sun was captured in 1973 throwing one of the largest eruptive prominences ever recorded. Sol, our sun, is a normal star. It formed about 5 billion years ago, and will last about another 5 billion years. The sun will never explode, and a solar f...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…e/sun_skylab.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…e/sun_skylab.gif	image	null	null	true	1,995	8
1995-08-14	Mercury: Closest Planet to the Sun	August 14, 1995 Mercury: Closest Planet to the Sun Credit: NASA, Mariner 10 Explanation: This picture was compiled from images taken by the NASA spacecraft Mariner 10 which flew by the planet three times in 1974. Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun, the second hottest planet (Venus gets hotter), and the sec...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…merc_marin10.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…merc_marin10.gif	image	null	null	true	1,995	8
1995-08-15	Venus: Earth's Sister Planet	August 15, 1995 Venus: Earth's Sister Planet Credit: NASA, Galileo, Copyright Calvin J. Hamilton Explanation: This picture in visible light was taken by the Galileo spacecraft. Venus is very similar to Earth in size and mass - and so is sometimes referred to as Earth's sister planet - but Venus has a quite dif...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…enus_galileo.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…enus_galileo.gif	image	null	null	true	1,995	8
1995-08-16	Uranus: The Tilted Planet	August 16, 1995 Uranus: The Tilted Planet Credit: NASA, Voyager 2 Explanation: This picture was snapped by the Voyager 2 spacecraft in 1986 - the only spacecraft ever to visit Uranus. Uranus is the third largest planet after Jupiter and Saturn. Uranus has many moons and a ring system. Uranus is composed mostl...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…e/uranus_vg2.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…e/uranus_vg2.gif	image	null	null	true	1,995	8
1995-08-17	Neptune: Big Blue Giant	August 17, 1995 Neptune: Big Blue Giant Credit: NASA, Voyager 2, Copyright Calvin J. Hamilton Explanation: This picture was taken by the Voyager 2 spacecraft in 1986 - the only spacecraft ever to visit Neptune. Neptune will be the farthest planet from the Sun until 1999, when the elliptical orbit of Pluto will ...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…/neptune_vg2.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…/neptune_vg2.gif	image	null	null	true	1,995	8
1995-08-18	Pluto: The Frozen Planet	August 18, 1995 Pluto: The Frozen Planet Credit: NASA, Hubble Space Telescope, R. Albrecht (ESA/ESO) Explanation: The Hubble Space Telescope imaged Pluto and its moon Charon in 1994. Pluto is usually the most distant planet from the Sun but because of its elliptic orbit Pluto crossed inside of Neptune's orbit in...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…ge/pluto_hst.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…ge/pluto_hst.gif	image	null	null	true	1,995	8
1995-08-19	Our Solar System from Voyager	August 19, 1995 Our Solar System from Voyager Credit: NASA, Voyager 1, Explanation: After taking its spectacular pictures of the outer solar system planets, Voyager 1 looked back at six planets from the inner solar system. Here Venus, Earth, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune, were all visible across the sky....	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…e/solsys_vg1.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…e/solsys_vg1.gif	image	null	null	true	1,995	8
1995-08-20	Announcing Comet Hale-Bopp	August 20, 1995 Announcing Comet Hale-Bopp Credit: Erich Meyer and Herbert Raab, Austria Explanation: The pictured fuzzy patch may become one of the most spectacular comets this century. Although it is very hard to predict how bright a comet will become, Comet Hale-Bopp, named for its discoverers, was spotted fa...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…ge/comet_hb1.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…ge/comet_hb1.gif	image	null	null	true	1,995	8
1995-08-21	An Orbiting Iceberg	August 21, 1995 An Orbiting Iceberg Credit: European Space Agency, Giotto Camera Team. Explanation: A comet nucleus, formed from the primordial stuff of the solar system, resembles a very dirty iceberg. Orbiting far from our Sun, it can remain frozen, preserved for billions of years. Occasionally, a chance gravit...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…t_halleynuc1.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…t_halleynuc1.gif	image	null	null	true	1,995	8
1995-08-22	Venus UnVeiled	August 22, 1995 Venus UnVeiled Credit: NASA, Magellan Project Explanation: The surface of Venus is perpetually covered by a veil of thick clouds and remains hidden from even the powerful telescopic eyes of earth-based astronomers. However, using an imaging radar technique, the Magellan spacecraft was able to lift...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…ellan_venus1.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…ellan_venus1.gif	image	null	null	true	1,995	8
1995-08-23	A Venusian Tick	August 23, 1995 A Venusian Tick Credit: NASA, Magellan Project Explanation: Data from the Magellan spacecraft has shown the Face of Venus to contain a host of volcanic features. This image shows an example of a fairly common type of venusian volcanic feature. Known as a "tick" it represents a volcano about 20 mil...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…e/venus_tick.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…e/venus_tick.gif	image	null	null	true	1,995	8
1995-08-24	A Radar Image of Planet Earth	August 24, 1995 A Radar Image of Planet Earth Credit: NASA, JPL Imaging Radar Program Explanation: This image of Mt. Rainier, Washington USA, planet Earth, was produced by the Spaceborne Radar Laboratory which flew on the Space Shuttle Endeavour in 1994. Radar, short for RAdio Detection And Ranging, is a techniqu...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…mage/rainier.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…mage/rainier.gif	image	null	null	true	1,995	8
1995-08-25	A World Explorer	August 25, 1995 A World Explorer Credit: NASA, JPL Magellan Project Explanation: Ferdinand Magellan was a world explorer. Many consider him the greatest navigator of Europe's 16th century age of sea going exploration and credit his expedition with the first circumnavigation of planet Earth. NASA's Venus probe, th...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…/magellan_sc.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…/magellan_sc.gif	image	null	null	true	1,995	8
1995-08-26	Two Tails of Comet West	August 26, 1995 Two Tails of Comet West Credit: Observatoire de Haute, Provence, France Explanation: Here Comet West is seen showing two enormous tails that wrap around the sky. The ion tale of a comet usually appears more blue and always points away from the Sun. The dust tail trailing the comet's nucleus is the...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…e/comet_west.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…e/comet_west.gif	image	null	null	true	1,995	8
1995-08-27	Gamma Ray Bursts from the Unknown	August 27, 1995 Gamma Ray Bursts from the Unknown Credit: NASA, Compton Gamma Ray Observatory, BATSE Explanation: Gamma Ray Bursts (GRBs) pose one of the greatest mysteries of modern astronomy. About once a day, the gamma-ray sky lights up with a spectacular explosion. No one knows what causes these explosions or ...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…mage/grb3map.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…mage/grb3map.gif	image	null	null	true	1,995	8
1995-08-28	Dusty Galaxy Centaurus A	August 28, 1995 Dusty Galaxy Centaurus A Credit: NOAO, Cerro Tololo Interamerican Observatory Explanation: One of the most unusual galaxies known, Centaurus A, is pictured above. Cen A is marked by dramatic dust lanes that run across the galaxy's center. These dust lanes are so thick they almost completely obscur...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…ge/cenA_ctio.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…ge/cenA_ctio.gif	image	null	null	true	1,995	8
1995-08-29	Saturn V: NASA's Largest Rocket	August 29, 1995 Saturn V: NASA's Largest Rocket Credit: NASA, Kennedy Space Center, Explanation: Pictured, a NASA Saturn V rocket blasts off on July 16th, 1969 carrying the crew of Apollo 11 to the Moon. The Saturn V rocket was the largest rocket ever used by NASA, and the only one able to lift the large masses n...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…rn5_apollo11.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…rn5_apollo11.gif	image	null	null	true	1,995	8
1995-08-30	Skylab Over Earth	August 30, 1995 Skylab Over Earth Credit: NASA, Skylab, HEASARC, Jesse Allen Explanation: Skylab was an orbiting laboratory launched by a Saturn V rocket in May 1973. Skylab was visited three times by NASA astronauts who sometimes stayed as long as two and a half months. Many scientific tests were preformed on Sk...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…image/skylab.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…image/skylab.gif	image	null	null	true	1,995	8
1995-08-31	X-Raying the Moon	August 31, 1995 X-Raying the Moon Credit: DARA, ESA, NASA, Max Planck Institut, J.H.M.M. Schmitt Explanation: Above is a picture of the Moon taken in X-rays by the Roentgen Observatory Satellite ROSAT in 1990. This famous picture shows three distinct regions: a bright X-ray sky, a bright part of the Moon, and a ...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…e/moon_rosat.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…e/moon_rosat.gif	image	null	null	true	1,995	8
1995-09-01	Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar 1910-1995	On August 21, 1995 one of the greatest astrophysicists of modern times passed away. Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar was a creative, prolific genius whose ability to combine mathematical precision with physical insight changed humanity's view of stellar physics. His most famous discovery was that not all stars end up as whit...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…e/chandra_uc.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…e/chandra_uc.gif	image	1989 by The University of Chicago. All rights reserved. Used by permission. Explanation: On August 21, 1995 one of the greatest astrophysicists of modern times passed away. Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar was a creative, prolific genius whose ability to combine mathematical precision with physical insight changed hu...	null	false	1,995	9
1995-09-02	Hot Gas and Dark Matter	Is the gravity of the above galaxies high enough to contain the glowing hot gas? Superposed on an optical picture of a group of galaxies is an image taken in X-ray light. The X-ray picture, taken by ROSAT, shows confined hot gas highlighted in false red color, and provides clear evidence that the gravity exerted in gr...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…matter_rosat.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…matter_rosat.gif	image	null	null	true	1,995	9
1995-09-03	Earth's Moon, A Familiar Face	The above mosaic of the Earth's Moon was compiled from photos taken by the spacecraft Clementine in 1994. This image represents the side of the Moon familiar to Earth dwellers. The Moon revolves around the Earth about once every 28 days. Since its rate of rotation about its axis is also once in 28 days, it always keeps...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…n_clementine.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…n_clementine.gif	image	null	null	true	1,995	9
1995-09-04	Ganymede: Moonquake World	Ganymede probably undergoes frequent ground shaking events not unlike terrestrial earthquakes. Ganymede, the largest moon of Jupiter and the Solar System, has a thick outer coating of water ice. Passing Voyager spacecraft found a large number of cracks and grooves in the ice so it is thought that Ganymede, like the Ear...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…/ganymede_vg.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…/ganymede_vg.gif	image	null	null	true	1,995	9
1995-09-05	Europa: Ancient Water World	Beneath the cold icy surface of Jupiter's moon Europa are probably the only oceans of water in our Solar System outside of Earth. These oceans, possibly 50 kilometers deep, might also be the most likely local place to find extra-terrestrial life. Europa's smooth surface is unlike any other known planet or moon, giving ...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…ge/europa_vg.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…ge/europa_vg.gif	image	null	null	true	1,995	9
1995-09-06	Callisto: Dark Smashed Iceball	Callisto is a dirty battered world, showing the most beaten surface of Jupiter's major moons. Made of a rocky core covered by fractured ice, Callisto's past collisions with large meteors are evident as large craters surrounded by concentric rings. The four largest moons of Jupiter: Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto we...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…/callisto_vg.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…/callisto_vg.gif	image	null	null	true	1,995	9
1995-09-07	Distant Galaxies	This Hubble Space Telescope image of a group of faint galaxies "far, far away" is a snap shot of the Universe when it was young. The bluish, irregularly shaped galaxies revealed in the image are up to eight billion light years away and seem to have commonly undergone galaxy collisions and bursts of star formation. Stud...	https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/fbg.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/fbg.gif	image	null	null	true	1,995	9
1995-09-08	The Milky Way's Center	September 8, 1995 The Milky Way's Center Credit: NASA, COsmic Background Explorer (COBE) Project Explanation: NASA's COBE satellite scanned the heavens at infrared wavelengths in 1990 and produced this premier view of the central region of our own Milky Way Galaxy. The Milky Way is a typical spiral galaxy with a c...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…/cobe_milkyw.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…/cobe_milkyw.gif	image	null	null	true	1,995	9
1995-09-09	The Last Moon Shot	September 9, 1995 The Last Moon Shot Credit: NASA, The Apollo Program Explanation: In 1865 Jules Verne predicted the invention of a space capsule that could carry people. In his science fiction story "From the Earth to the Moon", he outlined his vision of constructing a cannon in Florida so powerful that it could ...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…age/apollo17.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…age/apollo17.gif	image	null	null	true	1,995	9
1995-09-10	White Dwarfs Cool	The circled stars in the above picture are from a class that is hard to see in the cosmos: white dwarfs. The entire photo covers a small region near the center of a globular cluster known as M4. Researchers using the Hubble Space Telescope discovered a large concentration of white dwarfs in M4. This was expected - low...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…image/wd_hst.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…image/wd_hst.gif	image	null	null	true	1,995	9
1995-09-11	Proplyds: Infant Solar Systems	The fuzzy blobs seen above may be some of the first ever images of entire solar systems forming right before our eyes. This close up of the Orion Nebulae taken by the Hubble Space Telescope shows only a few stars, but these stars are surrounded by proto-planetary disks known as "proplyds." As the stars have only just ...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…proplyds_hst.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…proplyds_hst.gif	image	null	null	true	1,995	9
1995-09-12	Spiral Galaxy M83	Long winding spiral arms are clearly evident on this spectacular picture of the spiral galaxy M83. The blue color of the spiral arms is caused by the relatively large fraction of young blue stars there. Dark dust lanes are mixed in with the stars and trace the spiral structure of the galaxy. This galaxy contains many b...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…mage/m83_aat.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…mage/m83_aat.gif	image	Anglo-Australian Telescope Board Explanation: Long winding spiral arms are clearly evident on this spectacular picture of the spiral galaxy M83. The blue color of the spiral arms is caused by the relatively large fraction of young blue stars there. Dark dust lanes are mixed in with the stars and trace the spi...	null	false	1,995	9
1995-09-13	Elliptical Galaxy M87	cal galaxy M87 is a type of galaxy that looks much different than our own Milky Way Galaxy. But even for an elliptical galaxy M87 is peculiar. M87 is much bigger than an average galaxy, appears at the center of a whole cluster of galaxies known as the Virgo Cluster, and shows a very high number of globular clusters. T...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…mage/m87_aat.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…mage/m87_aat.gif	image	Anglo-Australian Telescope Board Explanation: Elliptical galaxy M87 is a type of galaxy that looks much different than our own Milky Way Galaxy. But even for an elliptical galaxy M87 is peculiar. M87 is much bigger than an average galaxy, appears at the center of a whole cluster of galaxies known as the Virg...	null	false	1,995	9
1995-09-14	The Far Side	This historic picture was humanity's first glimpse of the far side of the Moon. It was taken by the Soviet spacecraft Luna 3 in October of 1959. Luna 3 followed closely on the heels of another Soviet probe, Luna 2, which had become the first spacecraft to impact the Moon on September 13th of that same year. Why does th...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…age/luna3pix.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…age/luna3pix.gif	image	null	null	true	1,995	9
1995-09-15	Space Station Mir Over Earth	This picture of the Russian space station Mir over the Pacific Ocean was recorded by the Space Shuttle Discovery in February 1995. During this mission Discovery performed a rendezvous and "fly around" with Mir in preparation for a future docking mission. Many scientific experiments and astronomical observations were co...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…ge/mir_sts63.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…ge/mir_sts63.gif	image	null	null	true	1,995	9
1995-09-16	Rockets and Robert Goddard	Robert H. Goddard, one of the founding fathers of modern rocketry, was born in Worcester Massachusetts in 1882. As a 16 year old, Goddard read H.G. Wells' science fiction classic "War Of The Worlds" and dreamed of spaceflight. By 1926 he had designed, built, and launched the world's first liquid fuel rocket. During his...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…age/goddard1.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…age/goddard1.gif	image	null	null	true	1,995	9
1995-09-17	Thousands of Coma Cluster Galaxies	Almost every object in the above photograph is a galaxy. The Coma Cluster of galaxies pictured is a dense cluster containing many thousands of galaxies. Many of these galaxies contain as many stars as our own Milky Way Galaxy. Although nearby when compared to most other clusters, light from the Coma Cluster still takes...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…coma_skyview.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…coma_skyview.gif	image	Royal Observatory Edinburgh, Anglo-Australian Observatory, and AURA Explanation: Almost every object in the above photograph is a galaxy. The Coma Cluster of galaxies pictured is a dense cluster containing many thousands of galaxies. Many of these galaxies contain as many stars as our own Milky Way Galaxy. ...	null	false	1,995	9
1995-09-18	The Large Cloud of Magellan	Magellan and his crew had plenty of time to study the southern sky during their famous voyage around the world. As a result, two fuzzy cloud like objects, nestled among the southern constellations of Doradus and Tucana are now known as the Clouds of Magellan. The Magellanic Clouds are small irregular galaxies, satellit...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…mage/lmc_uks.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…mage/lmc_uks.gif	image	Anglo-Australian Telescope Board Explanation: Magellan and his crew had plenty of time to study the southern sky during their famous voyage around the world. As a result, two fuzzy cloud like objects, nestled among the southern constellations of Doradus and Tucana are now known as the Clouds of Magellan. The Magel...	null	false	1,995	9
1995-09-19	The Small Cloud of Magellan	Almost unknown to casual observers in the northern hemisphere, the southern sky contains two diffuse wonders known as the Magellanic Clouds. The Magellanic Clouds are small irregular galaxies orbiting our own larger Milky Way spiral galaxy. The Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC), pictured here, is about 250,000 light years a...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…mage/smc_uks.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…mage/smc_uks.gif	image	Anglo-Australian Telescope Board Explanation: Almost unknown to casual observers in the northern hemisphere, the southern sky contains two diffuse wonders known as the Magellanic Clouds. The Magellanic Clouds are small irregular galaxies orbiting our own larger Milky Way spiral galaxy. The Small Magellanic Cloud (...	null	false	1,995	9
1995-09-20	GL 105C: The Coolest Star?	Is the dim star to the upper right of this false-color picture the coolest possible normal star? From this recent picture by the Hubble Space Telescope, astronomers have estimated its mass is just high enough for it to fuse hydrogen into helium in its core. In general, the higher an object's mass, the higher it's core...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…e/gl105a_hst.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…e/gl105a_hst.gif	image	null	null	true	1,995	9
1995-09-21	One Small Step	On July 20th, 1969, a human first set foot on the Moon. Pictured above is the first lunar footprint. The footprint and distinction of the first person to walk on the Moon belong to Neil Armstrong. It has been estimated that one billion people world-wide watched Armstrong's first step - making the live transmission from...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…age/foot_a11.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…age/foot_a11.gif	image	null	null	true	1,995	9
1995-09-22	Standing on the Moon	Pictured, the second person to walk on the Moon: Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin. During this Apollo 11 mission, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the Moon while Michael Collins circled in the Command Module above. The lunar team erected a plaque on the surface that reads: HERE MEN FROM THE PLANET EARTH, FIRST SET FOOT UPO...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…age/buzz_a11.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…age/buzz_a11.gif	image	null	null	true	1,995	9
1995-09-23	Titan: Saturn's Smog Moon	The largest moon of Saturn is a rare wonder. Titan is the only one of Saturn's moons with an atmosphere, and one of only two moons in the Solar System with this distinction (Neptune's Triton is the other). Titan's thick cloudy atmosphere is mostly nitrogen, like Earth's, but contains much higher percentages of "smog-l...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…ge/titan_vg1.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…ge/titan_vg1.gif	image	null	null	true	1,995	9
1995-09-24	Mimas: Small Moon with A Big Crater	Mimas is one of the smaller moons of Saturn but shows one of the largest impact craters! In fact, if the impact had been much greater, it would have disrupted the entire satellite. The large crater has been named Herschel after the 1789 discoverer of Mimas, Sir William Herschel. Mimas' low mass produces a surface grav...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…ge/mimas_vg1.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…ge/mimas_vg1.gif	image	null	null	true	1,995	9
1995-09-25	Orion's Horsehead Nebula	The black indentation to the red emission nebula seen just to the right of center of the above photograph is one of the most famous features in any nebulae on the sky. Because of its shape, it is known as the Horsehead Nebula. The bright star near the center is located in the belt of the familiar constellation of Ori...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…orsehead_uks.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…orsehead_uks.gif	image	Anglo-Australian Telescope Board	null	false	1,995	9
1995-09-26	Star Trails in Southern Skies	As the Earth spins on its axis, the sky seems to rotate around us. This motion produces the beautiful concentric arcs traced out by the stars in this time exposure of the night sky. In the foreground of the picture is the dome of the Anglo-Australian Telescope in central New South Wales Australia. In the middle of t...	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…e/trails_aat.gif	https://apod.nasa.gov/ap…e/trails_aat.gif	image	Anglo-Australian Telescope Board	null	false	1,995	9

End of preview. Expand in Data Studio

NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day

Blue Marble — high-definition image of Earth from space

Credit: NASA/GSFC/Suomi NPP

Part of a dataset collection on Hugging Face.

Dataset description

Daily astronomy images and explanations from NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD) program, the longest-running astronomy outreach initiative on the internet. Each entry features a curated astronomical image or video with a written explanation by a professional astronomer.

APOD has published one entry every day since June 16, 1995 — an unbroken 30-year record spanning more than 10,000 entries. The subjects range from the mundane to the profound: sunsets, aurora, meteor showers, deep galaxy fields from the Hubble Space Telescope, gravitational wave detections, exoplanet atmosphere spectroscopy, and images from every NASA mission. Each explanation is written in accessible but scientifically accurate language, making the corpus particularly valuable for training and evaluating astronomy language models.

This dataset captures the full structured metadata for every APOD entry: date, title, explanation text, media URL, copyright status, and media type. Roughly 70% of entries feature NASA or ESA imagery in the public domain; the remaining ~30% are copyrighted contributions from amateur astrophotographers around the world. The url and hdurl fields provide stable links to the original images, enabling this metadata to be used as an index for downloading visual training data. The explanation field alone constitutes roughly 2 million words of expert-authored astronomy prose.

This dataset is suitable for tabular classification, text classification tasks.

Schema

Column	Type	Description	Sample	Null %
`date`	str	Date of the APOD entry in ISO format (YYYY-MM-DD); one entry per day since 1995-06-16; the primary key	1995-06-16	0.0%
`title`	string	Title of the astronomical image or media as chosen by the APOD editorial team; typically includes the object name or event described	Neutron Star Earth	0.0%
`explanation`	string	Scientific explanation (~150-300 words) written by a professional astronomer; covers the physics, history, and significance of the featured subject; suitable for NLP, summarization, and astronomy education tasks	Today's Picture: Explanation: If ...	0.1%
`url`	string	Primary media URL — direct image link or YouTube video URL; images are typically JPEG/PNG hosted on NASA GSFC servers	https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/e_le...	0.2%
`hdurl`	string	Full-resolution (HD) image URL; null for video entries; typically 2000-8000px; may be very large	https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/e_le...	3.7%
`media_type`	string	Content type: 'image' (majority) or 'video' (YouTube embeds); determines which URL fields are populated	image	0.0%
`copyright`	string	Attribution string for the image author/photographer; null when the image is NASA, ESA, or other government agency public domain; ~30% of entries are copyrighted (amateur astrophotographers)	1989 by The University of Chicago. A...	50.7%
`thumbnail_url`	string	YouTube thumbnail URL for video entries; null for image entries; useful for visual preview without loading the full video	https://img.youtube.com/vi/M6-iC_aYcu...	96.8%
`is_public_domain`	bool	True when copyright is null or empty, indicating NASA/ESA/public agency imagery with no usage restrictions; False for copyrighted astrophotography	True	0.0%
`year`	Int32	Calendar year of the entry (1995–present); derived from date; useful for time-series analysis and filtering by solar cycle or mission era	1995	0.0%
`month`	Int32	Month (1–12) of the entry; derived from date; useful for seasonal sky analysis (e.g., summer Milky Way, winter Orion)	6	0.0%

Quick stats

11,268 entries (1995-06-16 to 2026-04-26)
10,847 images, 396 videos
5,717 public domain entries (NASA/ESA), 5,551 copyrighted
Most common subjects in titles: nebula (1,029), galaxy (731), moon (627), mars (479), star (465)

Usage

from datasets import load_dataset

ds = load_dataset("juliensimon/nasa-apod", split="train")
df = ds.to_pandas()

from datasets import load_dataset
import pandas as pd

ds = load_dataset("juliensimon/nasa-apod", split="train")
df = ds.to_pandas()

# Public domain images only (safe to download/use)
public = df[df["is_public_domain"] == True]
print(f"{len(public):,} public domain entries with hdurl")

# Most popular topics by year
df["year"] = pd.to_numeric(df["year"])
topics = df[df["title"].str.contains("Galaxy|Nebula|Star|Comet|Moon", case=False, na=False)]
topics.groupby("year").size().plot(title="Cosmic Objects in APOD by Year")

# Recent entries
recent = df.sort_values("date").tail(10)[["date", "title", "media_type", "is_public_domain"]]
print(recent.to_string())

Data source

https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/

Update schedule

Daily at 07:00 UTC

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About the author

Created by Julien Simon — AI Operating Partner at Fortino Capital. Part of the Space Datasets collection.

Citation

@dataset{nasa_apod,
  title = {NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day},
  author = {juliensimon},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://huggingface.co/datasets/juliensimon/nasa-apod},
  publisher = {Hugging Face}
}

License

CC-BY-4.0

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Collection including juliensimon/nasa-apod

Astronomy Datasets

Collection

Exoplanets, gravitational waves, pulsars, GRBs, FRBs, quasars, variable stars, and million-source radio/X-ray sky surveys in Parquet. • 94 items • Updated 6 days ago