The M35 Cluster Chosen as NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day: An Unexpected Honor and a Word of Thanks

On February 27, 2025, my image of the open clusters M35 and NGC 2158 was chosen as NASA’s Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD).

It has been exactly five years since I stepped into astrophotography, and having this work selected as an APOD is a completely unexpected surprise for me, and an immense honor.

This honor does not belong to me alone. I owe special thanks to Dr. Wei-Hao Wang of the Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, and to the LATTE (Lulin-ASIAA Telescope for Transients and Education) team he leads, for providing the high-quality image data without which this work could never have taken shape. My thanks also go to the APOD editors, Robert and Jerry, for their favor in giving this photograph the chance to be seen by more people and shared with everyone.

Even more, I must thank my wife and children. All along this journey, it has been their support and forbearance that have allowed me to keep walking this astrophotography path. So this milestone belongs just as much to you.

Finally, I’d like to share a heartfelt word with fellow enthusiasts: while pursuing better imaging equipment, don’t forget to spend a little more time learning the craft of image processing too. Equipment determines how much signal you can gather, but turning that signal into a work that stands up to repeated viewing depends on the skill of post-processing. I sincerely invite everyone to join the ranks of PixInsight users, to exchange ideas and learn with more friends who love astronomical imaging, and to keep improving together.