APOD: 2026 August 9 – Contemplating the Sun

Source: This report is based on an official public release from NASA. PULSE organizes and summarizes public government communications. Read the original release →

Discover the cosmosEach day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.

Explanation:Have you contemplated your home star recently?

Featured here, aSunpartially eclipsed on the top left by the Moon is also seen eclipsed byearthlingscontemplating the eclipse below.

Thisspectacular menagerieof silhouettes was taken in 2012 from the Glen Canyon National Recreation AreanearPage, Arizona,USA, where park rangers and astronomersexpoundedon theunusual eventto interested gatherers.

Also, faintly visible on the Sun’s disk, just to the lower right of the dark Moon’s disk, is agroup of sunspots.

Anew solar eclipsewill occur this week and give many people innortheastern North America, Europe, and northwestern Africaa new chance to contemplate apartially eclipsed Sun.

A thin swath ofEarthfromGreenland to Portugalwill further experience atotal solar eclipse.

An open question is whether anymeteorsfrom the peaking Perseidswill be visible during totality.