Astronomy Picture of the Day [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2025 December 13 [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest resolution version available. Orion and the Ocean of Storms Image Credit: [3]NASA, [4]Artemis 1 Explanation: On December 5, 2022, a camera on board the uncrewed Orion spacecraft captured [5]this view as Orion approached its return powered flyby of the Moon. Beyond one of Orion's extended solar arrays lies dark, smooth, terrain along the [6]western edge of the Oceanus Procellarum. Prominent on the lunar nearside [7]Oceanus Procellarum, the Ocean of Storms, is the largest of the [8]Moon's lava-flooded maria. The lunar terminator, the shadow line between lunar night and day, runs along the left of this frame. The 41 kilometer diameter [9]crater Marius is top center, with ray [10]crater Kepler peeking in at the edge, just right of the solar array wing. Kepler's bright rays extend to the north and west, reaching the [11]dark-floored Marius. By December 11, 2022 the Orion spacecraft had returned to [12]its home world. The historic Artemis 1 mission ended with Orion's successful splashdown in [13]planet Earth's water-flooded Pacific Ocean. Watch: [14]The Geminid Meteor Shower Tomorrow's picture: flyby Ganymede and Jupiter __________________________________________________________________ [15]< | [16]Archive | [17]Submissions | [18]Index | [19]Search | [20]Calendar | [21]RSS | [22]Education | [23]About APOD | [24]Discuss | [25]> __________________________________________________________________ Authors & editors: [26]Robert Nemiroff ([27]MTU) & [28]Jerry Bonnell ([29]UMCP) NASA Official: Amber Straughn [30]Specific rights apply. [31]NASA Web Privacy, [32]Accessibility, [33]Notices; A service of: [34]ASD at [35]NASA / [36]GSFC, [37]NASA Science Activation & [38]Michigan Tech. U. References 1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2512/art001e002132.jpg 3. https://www.nasa.gov/ 4. https://www.nasa.gov/artemis-1 5. https://flickr.com/photos/nasa2explore/52547306790/in/album-72177720303788800/ 6. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap220128.html 7. https://earthsky.org/space/new-ideas-about-origin-of-lunar-ocean-of-storms/ 8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunar_mare 9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marius_(crater) 10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kepler_(lunar_crater) 11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marius_(crater) 12. https://blogs.nasa.gov/artemis/2022/12/11/artemis-i-flight-day-26-orion-splashes-down-concluding-historic-artemis-i-mission/ 13. https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/apollo-17-astronauts-capture-iconic-blue-marble-50-years-ago 14. https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/skywatching/whats-up-december-2025-skywatching-tips-from-nasa/ 15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap251212.html 16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html 18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html 19. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search 20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html 21. https://apod.com/feed.rss 22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html 23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html 24. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=251213 25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap251214.html 26. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html 27. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/ 28. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html 29. http://www.astro.umd.edu/ 30. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply 31. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html 32. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/ 33. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/ 34. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/ 35. https://www.nasa.gov/ 36. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/ 37. https://science.nasa.gov/learners 38. http://www.mtu.edu/