NASA’s APOD Showcases Zodiacal Light from Ladakh, Linking Mars Dust to Earth’s Night Sky

NASA’s Astronomy Picture of the Day for September 19, 2026 presents a striking view of zodiacal light captured just before astronomical twilight at the Hanle Dark Sky Reserve in Ladakh, India. The 4,500‑meter‑high site offers a pristine backdrop for stargazers, and the image features bright Jupiter near the eastern horizon, the open cluster M44, and a yellow‑tinged Mars near the frame’s center. The luminous band—known as the false dawn—illustrates sunlight scattered by interplanetary dust. NASA’s Juno spacecraft has detected dust originating from Mars, suggesting the planet contributes to the zodiacal glow observed from Earth. Additionally, the APOD portal is transitioning from apod. nasa. gov to science. nasa. gov/apod.