Every image in the Astronomy Picture of the Day archive tells a story. The one for April 15, 2026 — The ISS Transits the Moon — tells one that stretches across billions of light-years of space.
Credit & Copyright: Sébastien BorieText:
Keighley Rockcliffe
(NASA
GSFC,
UMBC CSST,
CRESST II) | apod.nasa.gov
A Close Look at The ISS Transits the Moon
Nope, that is not an alien spaceship landing on the Moon! This is an image of the International Space Station (ISS) as it begins to transit in front of the Moon.
The ISS is in low-Earth orbit (LEO) where it wizzes around the Earth every 90 minutes. Orbiting the Earth 16 times per day for 25 years, the ISS has photobombed many familiar celestial objects including Venus, Mars, Saturn, and the Sun. Thousands of experiments led by researchers from over one hundred countries have been conducted on the ISS. This image was captured by Sébastien Borie
Text:
Keighley Rockcliffe
(NASA
GSFC,
UMBC CSST,
CRESST II) and selected by NASA for the Astronomy Picture of the Day on April 15, 2026.
For more images like this, NASA APOD April 13, 2026… goes deeper on similar cosmic phenomena.
Reading the Planetary Surface
Growing protein crystals in low-gravity was one of the first experiments onboard the ISS and continues to contribute to new medical treatments. ISS astronauts study plant growth, water recycling, human health, and more to support the Artemis missions which will take humans farther than they’ve ever gone before. Next time you are out and about at night, try to spot the ISS zooming across the sky!
To image The ISS Transits the Moon, astronomers use instruments that go far beyond what the human eye can detect. NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope and the James Webb Space Telescope collect light across ultraviolet, visible, infrared, and X-ray wavelengths — each layer revealing a different physical property of the object.
If you want to understand how modern space imaging works, NASA APOD: Artemis II: Flight… has related coverage.
How This Image Was Captured and Processed
The final image you see for April 15, 2026 is the result of careful calibration, processing, and scientific review. Credit goes to Sébastien Borie
Text:
Keighley Rockcliffe
(NASA
GSFC,
UMBC CSST,
CRESST II).
Quick Facts: The ISS Transits the Moon
| Property | Detail |
|---|---|
| APOD Date | April 15, 2026 |
| Object Name | The ISS Transits the Moon |
| Image Credit | Sébastien Borie
Text: |
| Source | NASA APOD — apod.nasa.gov |
About NASA’s Astronomy Picture of the Day
The Astronomy Picture of the Day has run without interruption since June 16, 1995 — one of the most consistent science communication projects in internet history. Founded by Robert Nemiroff (Michigan Tech) and Jerry Bonnell (University of Maryland), each image is selected by professional astronomers at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center.
The April 2026 selection — including The ISS Transits the Moon — represents what scientists consider both visually compelling and scientifically meaningful. Browse the full archive free at apod.nasa.gov.
5 Questions About This Image
What makes The ISS Transits the Moon worth featuring as the April 15, 2026 APOD?
Nope, that is not an alien spaceship landing on the Moon! This is an image of the International Space Station (ISS) as it begins to transit in front of the Moon. This makes The ISS Transits the Moon one of the more compelling subjects in the Astronomy Picture of the Day archive.
Why does The ISS Transits the Moon have its distinctive appearance?
The ISS is in low-Earth orbit (LEO) where it wizzes around the Earth every 90 minutes. Next time you are out and about at night, try to spot the ISS zooming across the sky!
How does the size of The ISS Transits the Moon compare to our solar system?
Orbiting the Earth 16 times per day for 25 years, the ISS has photobombed many familiar celestial objects including Venus, Mars, Saturn, and the Sun. Objects like The ISS Transits the Moon featured in the Astronomy Picture of the Day frequently dwarf anything in our local cosmic neighborhood, reminding us how small Earth really is on a universal scale.
Who captured the April 15, 2026 Astronomy Picture of the Day?
The image of The ISS Transits the Moon was captured by Sébastien Borie
Text:
Keighley Rockcliffe
(NASA
GSFC,
UMBC CSST,
CRESST II). Nope, that is not an alien spaceship landing on the Moon! NASA reviewed this submission and selected it for April 15, 2026 based on its scientific and visual significance.
Has any spacecraft ever explored the region around The ISS Transits the Moon?
Next time you are out and about at night, try to spot the ISS zooming across the sky! The complete Astronomy Picture of the Day archive going back to 1995 is free at apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html. CCDiscovery.com publishes a detailed article for every new APOD image throughout April 2026.
