NASA’s Astronomy Picture of the Day

These podcasts are my discussion of NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day. These are brief (3-5 minute) audio summaries of the picture posted on NASA's Picture of the Day website: APOD. Video versions of these are available on YouTube. I use these as the introduction to each of my introductory astronomy classes. Students will be able to access them here to review what was discussed in class. I appreciate any comments or suggestions which can be sent to: wagnerastronomy@gmail.com.

2025 October 19 - Comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko Creates Its Tails

In today's image, we see comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko as imaged by the Rosetta spacecraft. This shows jets of materials being expelled from the comet which are what helps to form the coma and tails of a comet. My podcasts are available in video form through this YouTube Channel.This Podcast is an authorized New Media Mirror Site for APOD. You can access the image and website directly at: Astronomy Picture of the Day. You can use the archive link below the image to select the photo corresponding to the date of this podcast.I welcome comments and suggestions about these podcasts. I can be reached here: wagnerastronomy@gmail.comThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

10-19
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2025 October 18 - 3D Bennu

In today's image, we see the asteroid named Bennu. This asteroid was visited by the ORIRIS-REx spacecraft and returned a sample of this asteroid to Earth in 2023 for more detailed laboratory study.My podcasts are available in video form through this YouTube Channel.This Podcast is an authorized New Media Mirror Site for APOD. You can access the image and website directly at: Astronomy Picture of the Day. You can use the archive link below the image to select the photo corresponding to the date of this podcast.I welcome comments and suggestions about these podcasts. I can be reached here: wagnerastronomy@gmail.comThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

10-18
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2025 October 17 - Ida and Dactyl: Asteroid and Moon

In today's image, we see the second asteroid to be visited by a spacecraft which was the asteroid Ida which was visited by the Galileo spacecraft on its way to Jupiter in 1993. It was found to have a small moon orbiting it, which has been named Dactyl.My podcasts are available in video form through this YouTube Channel.This Podcast is an authorized New Media Mirror Site for APOD. You can access the image and website directly at: Astronomy Picture of the Day. You can use the archive link below the image to select the photo corresponding to the date of this podcast.I welcome comments and suggestions about these podcasts. I can be reached here: wagnerastronomy@gmail.comThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

10-17
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2025 October 16 - Young Suns of NGC 7129

In today's image, we see the seat forming region known as NGC 7129. This may be much like the region where our own Sun formed five billion or so years ago.My podcasts are available in video form through this YouTube Channel.This Podcast is an authorized New Media Mirror Site for APOD. You can access the image and website directly at: Astronomy Picture of the Day. You can use the archive link below the image to select the photo corresponding to the date of this podcast.I welcome comments and suggestions about these podcasts. I can be reached here: wagnerastronomy@gmail.comThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

10-16
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2025 October 15 - Rocket Launch Plume over Tucson

In today's image, we see the plume from the launch of a Falcon 9 rocket which was delivering multiple Starling communications satellites to low Earth orbit.My podcasts are available in video form through this YouTube Channel.This Podcast is an authorized New Media Mirror Site for APOD. You can access the image and website directly at: Astronomy Picture of the Day. You can use the archive link below the image to select the photo corresponding to the date of this podcast.I welcome comments and suggestions about these podcasts. I can be reached here: wagnerastronomy@gmail.comThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

10-15
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2025 October 14 - An Unusual Globule in IC 1396

In today's image, we see a part of the Elephant Trunk Nebula which is also known by its catalog designations of IC 1396. This is also considered a cometary globule for its resemblance to a comet with a head and tail.My podcasts are available in video form through this YouTube Channel.This Podcast is an authorized New Media Mirror Site for APOD. You can access the image and website directly at: Astronomy Picture of the Day. You can use the archive link below the image to select the photo corresponding to the date of this podcast.I welcome comments and suggestions about these podcasts. I can be reached here: wagnerastronomy@gmail.comThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

10-14
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2025 October 13 - Lemmon Tree

In today's image, we see Comet Lemmon positioned above a tree here on Earth. Comet Lemmon has reached its closest approach to our Sun and is now approaching Earth - although it is not passing close enough to be a danger - It is expected to brighten and may become visible to the unaided eye over the next few weeks. My podcasts are available in video form through this YouTube Channel.This Podcast is an authorized New Media Mirror Site for APOD. You can access the image and website directly at: Astronomy Picture of the Day. You can use the archive link below the image to select the photo corresponding to the date of this podcast.I welcome comments and suggestions about these podcasts. I can be reached here: wagnerastronomy@gmail.comThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

10-13
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2025 October 12 - All the Water on Europa

In today's image, we see a comparison of the water on Earth versus the water on Jupiter's moon, Europa. Despite its smaller size, Europa is expected to have more water than the much larger Earth.My podcasts are available in video form through this YouTube Channel.This Podcast is an authorized New Media Mirror Site for APOD. You can access the image and website directly at: Astronomy Picture of the Day. You can use the archive link below the image to select the photo corresponding to the date of this podcast.I welcome comments and suggestions about these podcasts. I can be reached here: wagnerastronomy@gmail.comThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

10-12
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2025 October 11 - Manicouagan Impact Crater from Space

In today's image, we see the Manicouagan impact crater in Quebec, Canada as imaged from the International Space Station back in 2019.My podcasts are available in video form through this YouTube Channel.This Podcast is an authorized New Media Mirror Site for APOD. You can access the image and website directly at: Astronomy Picture of the Day. You can use the archive link below the image to select the photo corresponding to the date of this podcast.I welcome comments and suggestions about these podcasts. I can be reached here: wagnerastronomy@gmail.comThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

10-11
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2025 October 10 - 50 Light Years to 51 Pegasi

In today's image, we see the sky above the telescope dome where the exoplanet 51 Pegasi b was discovered - this was the first discovery of a planet around a star like our Sun and the fist discovery of the type of planet which become known as a "Hot Jupiter".My podcasts are available in video form through this YouTube Channel.This Podcast is an authorized New Media Mirror Site for APOD. You can access the image and website directly at: Astronomy Picture of the Day. You can use the archive link below the image to select the photo corresponding to the date of this podcast.I welcome comments and suggestions about these podcasts. I can be reached here: wagnerastronomy@gmail.comThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

10-10
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2025 October 09 - The Jenga Moon

In today's image, we see the Moon as it rises over a building in New York City. This was the full moon from a few days ago and is also known as the Harvest Moon and a Supermoon since it occurred at the Moon's closest approach to Earth in its orbit.My podcasts are available in video form through this YouTube Channel.This Podcast is an authorized New Media Mirror Site for APOD. You can access the image and website directly at: Astronomy Picture of the Day. You can use the archive link below the image to select the photo corresponding to the date of this podcast.I welcome comments and suggestions about these podcasts. I can be reached here: wagnerastronomy@gmail.comThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

10-09
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2025 October 08 - NGC 7380: The Wizard Nebula

In today's image, we see the star forming region known as the Wizard Nebula. Here, newly forming stars are creating the patterns and colors that we see. My podcasts are available in video form through this YouTube Channel.This Podcast is an authorized New Media Mirror Site for APOD. You can access the image and website directly at: Astronomy Picture of the Day. You can use the archive link below the image to select the photo corresponding to the date of this podcast.I welcome comments and suggestions about these podcasts. I can be reached here: wagnerastronomy@gmail.comThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

10-08
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2025 October 07 - SN Encore: A Second Supernova Seen Several Times

In today's image, we see multiple images of a supernova occurring in a distant galaxy. Multiple images are possible because of gravitational lensing cause by the gravitational field of the intervening galaxy cluster. My podcasts are available in video form through this YouTube Channel.This Podcast is an authorized New Media Mirror Site for APOD. You can access the image and website directly at: Astronomy Picture of the Day. You can use the archive link below the image to select the photo corresponding to the date of this podcast.I welcome comments and suggestions about these podcasts. I can be reached here: wagnerastronomy@gmail.comThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

10-07
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2025 October 06 - The Changing Ion Tail of Comet Lemmon

In today's image, we see five images of Comet Lemmon taken of the period of about a week. Here we can see the distinct changes that occur in the ion tail of a comet.My podcasts are available in video form through this YouTube Channel.This Podcast is an authorized New Media Mirror Site for APOD. You can access the image and website directly at: Astronomy Picture of the Day. You can use the archive link below the image to select the photo corresponding to the date of this podcast.I welcome comments and suggestions about these podcasts. I can be reached here: wagnerastronomy@gmail.comThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

10-06
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2025 October 05 - A Long Storm System on Saturn

In today's image, we see a storm on Saturn from 2010 as images by the Cassini spacecraft. The storm lasted for six months and stretched all the way around the planet.My podcasts are available in video form through this YouTube Channel.This Podcast is an authorized New Media Mirror Site for APOD. You can access the image and website directly at: Astronomy Picture of the Day. You can use the archive link below the image to select the photo corresponding to the date of this podcast.I welcome comments and suggestions about these podcasts. I can be reached here: wagnerastronomy@gmail.comThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

10-05
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2025 October 04 - The Rotating Moon

In today's image, we see a video composed of images from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter showing what it would look like if we could see the Moon as it rotates on its axis. My podcasts are available in video form through this YouTube Channel.This Podcast is an authorized New Media Mirror Site for APOD. You can access the image and website directly at: Astronomy Picture of the Day. You can use the archive link below the image to select the photo corresponding to the date of this podcast.I welcome comments and suggestions about these podcasts. I can be reached here: wagnerastronomy@gmail.comThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

10-04
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2025 October 03 - Pandora's Cluster of Galaxies

In today's image, we see the cluster sometime known as Pandora's Cluster. This is a large galaxy cluster which appears to be three clusters merging together. My podcasts are available in video form through this YouTube Channel.This Podcast is an authorized New Media Mirror Site for APOD. You can access the image and website directly at: Astronomy Picture of the Day. You can use the archive link below the image to select the photo corresponding to the date of this podcast.I welcome comments and suggestions about these podcasts. I can be reached here: wagnerastronomy@gmail.comThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

10-03
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2025 October 02 - Pluto at Night

In today's image, we see an image of Pluto as taken by the New Horizons spacecraft over a decade ago. This image was taken shortly after New Horizons passed by Pluto so we can see it from behind looking back toward the Sun.My podcasts are available in video form through this YouTube Channel.This Podcast is an authorized New Media Mirror Site for APOD. You can access the image and website directly at: Astronomy Picture of the Day. You can use the archive link below the image to select the photo corresponding to the date of this podcast.I welcome comments and suggestions about these podcasts. I can be reached here: wagnerastronomy@gmail.comThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

10-02
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2025 October 01 - NGC 6960: The Witch's Broom Nebula

In today's image, we see the supernova remnant known as the Witch's Broom Nebula. This is the remnant of a star that would have been seen to explode here on Earth about ten thousand years ago.My podcasts are available in video form through this YouTube Channel.This Podcast is an authorized New Media Mirror Site for APOD. You can access the image and website directly at: Astronomy Picture of the Day. You can use the archive link below the image to select the photo corresponding to the date of this podcast.I welcome comments and suggestions about these podcasts. I can be reached here: wagnerastronomy@gmail.comThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

10-01
03:57

2025 September 30 - Comet Lemmon Brightens

In today's image, we see an image of Comet Lemmon, the third comet currently visible in the sky with the aid of binoculars. The comet will make its closes approach to Εarth on October 21 and its closest approach to the Sun a couple of weeks later.My podcasts are available in video form through this YouTube Channel.This Podcast is an authorized New Media Mirror Site for APOD. You can access the image and website directly at: Astronomy Picture of the Day. You can use the archive link below the image to select the photo corresponding to the date of this podcast.I welcome comments and suggestions about these podcasts. I can be reached here: wagnerastronomy@gmail.comThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

09-30
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