Planetary Picture of the Day
Week of July 22, 2024
We present all the different worlds this week - comet Halley, dwarf planet Charon, moon Titan, gas giant Jupiter, and even our own beautiful Earth!
Monday, 22 July 2024

Credit: ESA/MPS/Giotto/Jason Major
Comet Halley Nucleus
This is the approximately 15-by-8-kilometer nucleus of Halley's Comet, imaged by ESA's Giotto spacecraft in March 1986 from about 2,000 km away. Comet 1P/Halley won't pass through the inner solar system again until 2061, which seems a lot closer now than back in 1986 after the last visit.
Tuesday, 23 July 2024

Credit: NASA/JHUAPL/SwRI/D. Macháček
Charon
Nine years ago, New Horizons made the first (and last) flyby of the Pluto-Charon system. This is the best (half)-global image of Charon obtained by MVIC. It combines hi-res B/W images with color images at a lower resolution and is raw (regarding geology), as you can imagine. Yet, there is infinite poetry in how light shines on such a faraway world that we discovered so few years ago.
Wednesday, 24 June 2024

Credit: EUMETSAT
Beautiful Blue Marble
Earth as seen from the vantage point of the Meteosat-10 geostationary weather satellite 36,000 km above our planet. EUMETSAT’s Meteosat satellites are a key part of the global ring of geostationary weather satellites and observe the Earth over Europe, Africa, and the Indian Ocean. Taken in natural color on 22 April 2024 to celebrate Earth Day.
Thursday, 25 July 2024

Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / SSI / CICLOPS / Jason Major
Titan's Polar Vortex
This true-color image captured by NASA's Cassini spacecraft before a distant flyby of Saturn's moon Titan on June 27, 2012, shows a south polar vortex, or a swirling mass of gas, around the pole in the atmosphere. "Warm" air goes up the sides, gets even colder, and sinks down the center. The south pole of Titan is near the center of the view.
Friday, 26 July 2024

Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / SwRI / MSSS / AndreaLuck
Jupiter's String of Pearls
NASA's Juno captured this unusual and extraordinary view of Jupiter from the gas giant's southern hemisphere during perijove 32. The white storms are the so-called "strings of pearls". They are about 1/3 to 1/2 the size of Earth each.
News
Related News
Planetary Picture of the Day - Week of August 24, 2026
We journey from Mount Fuji as seen from orbit to the bubbling surface of Betelgeuse, exploring the forces that shape planets, moons, and stars across the cosmos. Along the way, JWST reveals the remains of a dying star, Curiosity uncovers clues to Mars’ volcanic past, and a fresh rocket impact on the Moon gives scientists a new opportunity to study how collisions reshape its surface. #PPOD
Planetary Picture of the Day - Week of August 17, 2026
Let's celebrate the August 12 total solar eclipse through the eyes of photographers who experienced the Moon’s shadow sweeping across Spain. From Baily’s Beads and a glowing solar prominence to totality reflected in a river and framed by fields of sunflowers, these images capture both the science and extraordinary beauty of one of nature’s most spectacular celestial events. #PPOD #Eclipse
Planetary Picture of the Day - Week of August 10, 2026
The universe is shaped by forces both immense and intricate, from fractured terrain on Mars and shifting tidal landscapes on Earth to tiny vortices dancing across the surface of the Sun. Farther afield, dramatic views of Pluto’s icy mountains and hazy atmosphere and a treasure chest of newborn stars in the Carina Nebula showcase the remarkable detail revealed by spacecraft and telescopes exploring the cosmos. #PPOD
Planetary Picture of the Day - August 3, 2026
This week, we reveal hidden wonders across the cosmos, from delicate Martian clouds and a dust-shrouded galaxy to an asteroid with a never-before-seen shape and the crowded heart of the Milky Way. Together, these images showcase how new missions and advanced observatories continue to uncover surprising details about our solar system, our galaxy, and the universe beyond. #PPOD
Planetary Picture of the Day - Week of July 27, 2026
These images span the journey from our own backyard to distant galaxies, featuring Mars, the Moon, breathtaking night skies, and a fresh view of the star-forming galaxy Messier 94. Along the way, we celebrate exploration and discovery—from NASA’s Psyche mission preparing for its asteroid encounter to the revelation of a previously unknown impact crater on Earth —reminding us that there are still new wonders to uncover both on our own planet and across the cosmos. #PPOD
Planetary Picture of the Day - Week of July 20, 2026
This week, we celebrate fifty years since Viking 1 became the first spacecraft to successfully land on and photograph the surface of Mars, alongside stunning new views of worlds, stars, and galaxies that continue to expand our understanding of the universe. From sculpted Sahara sand dunes and Jupiter’s colorful cloud bands to a newly discovered exoplanet and the first stellar-mass black hole identified in Omega Centauri, these images showcase the remarkable diversity of cosmic exploration. #PPODResearch
Related Projects
SkyMapper: Expanding Access to Real-time Astronomy Through a Global Astronomical Network
SkyMapper and the SETI Institute are connecting educators, students and the public to live astronomical observations through a distributed astronomical network. #SkyMapper #SETI #Citizen Science #Astronomy
Virtual Planetary Laboratory
How can we best assess whether an exoplanet supports life? #VPL
Discovery and Futures Lab
What happens if life beyond Earth is discovered? The Discovery and Futures Lab at the SETI Institute fosters novel and anticipatory research at the intersection of science, society, our planet, and the search for life beyond Earth. #Discovery and Futures LabSupport the
SETI Institute
Scientists are getting closer in their search for life beyond earth. But with limited federal funding for the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, supporters are the reason cutting-edge scientists can keep their eyes on the sky.