NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day for October 14, 2026 features an image of Mars near the center of the Beehive cluster, also known as M44 or Praesepe, appearing below an auroral curtain and above a tree-lined horizon near Lansjärv, Sweden. The photograph is credited to Petr Horálek of the Institute of Physics in Opava, Josef Kujal and Vojan Höfer.

According to the accompanying explanation, an eruption off the Sun reached Earth on October 10, 2026, causing strong disturbances in Earth's magnetic field. Energetic particles from the eruption collide with and energize molecules in the atmosphere, which release the extra energy as the colorful aurora captured in the image.

The Beehive cluster is described as a swarm of young stars, and the explanation notes that their rotation periods have helped researchers learn how stars spin more slowly over time as they lose mass through stellar winds. The explanation also mentions that auroras, called guovssahasat in North Sámi, are traditionally viewed with respect by the Sámi people indigenous to Sweden and other Arctic regions.