NASA’s Astronomy Picture of the Day for Oct. 15, 2026, features an image titled “The Milky Way over Manhattan,” credited to Jason Kurth and Ty Buckley. The accompanying explanation describes how the Milky Way could be recorded above a brightly lit city using a camera setup designed to reduce the effect of urban lighting.
The image was taken through a filter that blocks most visible light and captures near-infrared light, which has less energy than visible light, according to NASA’s explanation. The setup takes advantage of differences in how common light sources appear in that part of the spectrum: incandescent bulbs and some neon lights remain bright, while fluorescent and LED bulbs do not. Stars also emit near-infrared light, allowing them to appear in the image.
The feature presents the photograph as an illustration of how observing techniques can reveal astronomical objects even in a location where artificial lighting makes the night sky difficult to see. NASA’s daily astronomy feature pairs an image or photograph with a short explanation written by a professional astronomer.
The page lists Cecilia Chirenti, Robert Nemiroff, Jerry Bonnell and Keighley Rockcliffe as authors and editors. It identifies the service as a collaboration involving ASD at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA Science Activation and Michigan Technological University.
The explanation also places the image in a broader context, noting that the same sky is shared by people in different settings and that astronomy can help people explore humanity’s place in the cosmos. NASA’s page lists “Chasing the ISS” as the subject of the following day’s picture.
