Comet R3 PanSTARRS and Orion (May 10, 2026)
May 10, 2026 6:10am
NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day for 2026-05-10 is titled "Comet R3 PanSTARRS and Orion." The release is published as a image and pairs imagery with an officia...
NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day for 2026-05-10 is titled "Comet R3 PanSTARRS and Orion." The release is published as a image and pairs imagery with an official science explainer from NASA. The post highlights a specific observable scene and provides technical context for why the view matters.
5-Second Takeaway
NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day for 2026-05-10 is titled "Comet R3 PanSTARRS and Orion." The release is published as a image and pairs imagery with an official science explainer from NASA.
Why This Matters
The post highlights a specific observable scene and provides technical context for why the view matters.
What Changed
- NASA published this Astronomy Picture of the Day on 2026-05-10.
- The item title is Comet R3 PanSTARRS and Orion and the media type is image.
- The image and caption describe observable features highlighted in this release.
- NASA's accompanying explanation provides observation context and interpretation notes.
- Caption excerpt: Orion never had a sword like this. As Comet C/2025 R3 (PanSTARRS) heads out of the inner Solar System, it is putting on quite a show for long exposure cameras. Currently seen toward the constellation of Orion the Hunter, the distant Orion Nebula is visible on the upper right. Comet R3 PanSTARRS is now showing two distinct tails: a short dust tail pointing toward the top of the image and a long and wavy ion tail trailing off toward the upper left. The ion tail points away from the Sun and glows blue from excited carbon monoxide. Large particles in the dust tail somewhat resist the radiation pressure that push them away from the Sun and so retain a bit of the comet's orbit. The dust tail shines by reflected sunlight. The featured image was taken a few days ago from France's Reunion Island in the southern Indian Ocean. Growing Gallery: Comet R3 PanSTARRS in 2026
- Full mission and image details are available in the official APOD entry.
- NASA APOD page: https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2605/CometOrion_Perrot_960_annotated.jpg
- NASA open API portal: https://api.nasa.gov/
Key Facts
- NASA published this Astronomy Picture of the Day on 2026-05-10.
- The item title is Comet R3 PanSTARRS and Orion and the media type is image.
- The image and caption describe observable features highlighted in this release.
- NASA's accompanying explanation provides observation context and interpretation notes.
Key Numbers
- NASA published this Astronomy Picture of the Day on 2026-05-10.
- Caption excerpt: Orion never had a sword like this. As Comet C/2025 R3 (PanSTARRS) heads out of the inner Solar System, it is putting on quite a show for long exposure cameras. Currently seen toward the constellation of Orion the Hunter, the distant Orion Nebula is visible on the upper right. Comet R3 PanSTARRS is now showing two distinct tails: a short dust tail pointing toward the top of the image and a long and wavy ion tail trailing off toward the upper left. The ion tail points away from the Sun and glows blue from excited carbon monoxide. Large particles in the dust tail somewhat resist the radiation pressure that push them away from the Sun and so retain a bit of the comet's orbit. The dust tail shines by reflected sunlight. The featured image was taken a few days ago from France's Reunion Island in the southern Indian Ocean. Growing Gallery: Comet R3 PanSTARRS in 2026
- NASA APOD page: https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2605/CometOrion_Perrot_960_annotated.jpg