NASA Photo of the Day: Orion Constellation and Winter Landscape
On December 28, 2024, NASA has selected Włodzimierz Bubak’s photograph as the Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD). The photo captures the rise of the Orion constellation over Babia Góra during the night of the winter solstice. The uniqueness of the image is highlighted by visible hydrogen emission nebulae such as Barnard’s Loop, M42 and the Rosette Nebula.
The image was taken with an astromodified camera with an H-alpha filter that enables to capture objects invisible to the naked eye. The foreground of the photo features a hut in the Mędralowa Range illuminated with a tourist lamp, to emphasize the contrast between the warm light and the cold of the winter night’.

Włodzimierz Bubak: Photographer and Regionalist
Włodzimierz Bubak, a teacher from Jaworzno, has been pursuing his passion for photography for the past five years, specializing in nightscapes and multi-ground pictures. As a regionalist, he strives to present well-known places in a unique way, combining the beauty of nature with technological advances in photography.
Astronomy Picture of the Day is a NASA project that has been presenting one astronomy-themed photo every day since 1995. In recent months, other Polish photographers such as Marcin Rosadzinski, Mariusz Durlej and Antoni Zegarski have also been recognized, which testifies to the growing reputation of Polish astrophotography.
The popularity of Astrophotography in Poland
Astrophotography in Poland is growing rapidly thanks to the availability of equipment and knowledge on the Internet. Unfortunately, increasing light pollution is challenging for night sky enthusiasts, forcing them to seek more and more remote dark sky locations.
For more information about Astronomy Picture of the Day, visit the project’s official website.
Sources: RMF.FM, NASA, TVP World News, NASA Picture of the Day.