Mike Wilcock - PowerShell NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day

The following example PowerShell script was created to demonstrate the usage of the NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day API (APOD).

nasa_apod_image — NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day

The code uses the PowerShell Invoke-Webrequest cmdlet to retrieve data from the NASA API and then outputs the resultant image or video information to a formatted html text file which is stored locally on the users disk drive.

At some point in the future, I may add the option to add a drop-down date selection component so that you can select images from previous days, but for the time being it is a working example which displays the current days picture of the day.

PowerShell Code

#----------------------------------------------------------------------------#
# Program Copyright    : Mike Wilcock.
# Program Name         : nasa_apod.ps1.
#----------------------------------------------------------------------------#
# Program Created      : 1st March 2025.
# Program Code Type    : PowerShell Script (version 5.1.22621.436).
# Author               : Michael Wilcock, IT Technician.
#----------------------------------------------------------------------------#
# Version              : 1.51
#----------------------------------------------------------------------------#
# Purpose              : Query the NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD) API
#                        and write the results as an html document.
#----------------------------------------------------------------------------#

Add-Type -AssemblyName PresentationCore,PresentationFramework

# Store API key.
$apiKey = "DEMO_KEY"

# Store date and time.  Used in filename.
$cDateTime = Get-Date -Format "dd-MM-yyyy-HH-mm-ss"

# Output to console.
Write-Host("Getting APOD Data - Please Wait")

# Make web request.
try
{
    # Youtube video.
    #$imgInfo = Invoke-WebRequest -Uri "https://api.nasa.gov/planetary/apod?api_key=$apiKey&date=2025-01-05&thumbs=true" | ConvertFrom-Json
    
    # Bespoke video without thumbnail.
    #$imgInfo = Invoke-WebRequest -Uri "https://api.nasa.gov/planetary/apod?api_key=$apiKey&date=2025-03-02&thumbs=true" | ConvertFrom-Json

    # Image / video of the day.
    $imgInfo = Invoke-WebRequest -Uri "https://api.nasa.gov/planetary/apod?api_key=$apiKey&thumbs=true" | ConvertFrom-Json
}
# Error.
catch
{
    [System.Windows.MessageBox]::Show("There was an error accessing the NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day API`n`n" + $_.Exception.Message + "`n`nThe program will now terminate.", "Error", "Ok", "error")

    return
}

# Readability.
$cTitle = $imgInfo.title
$cExplanation = $imgInfo.explanation
$cHdUrl = $imgInfo.hdurl
$cUrl = $imgInfo.url
$cThumbnailUrl = $imgInfo.thumbnail_url
$cDate = ([DateTime]$imgInfo.date).ToString("dd\/MM\/yyyy") # British date.

# Create simple html document for iamges.
if($imgInfo.media_type -eq "image")
{
    # Retrieve filemane only.
    $imgName = $cHdUrl.Substring($cHdUrl.LastIndexOf("/") + 1)

    # Output to console.
    Write-Host("Saving Image File - Please Wait")

    # Download image and save to disk.
    Invoke-WebRequest -Uri $cHdUrl -OutFile ($PSScriptRoot + "\$imgName")

    # Create image hyperlink.
    $cHyperlink = "<a href='$imgName' target='blank'><img src='$imgName' alt='$cTitle' title='$cTitle' width=650px></a>"
    
    $cHTML = @"
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>

<head>
    <title>NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day</title>
</head>

<body>
    <h1 style="text-align: center;">NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day</h1>
    
    <div id="image" style="width:100%; text-align: center;">
        $cHyperlink
        <p>click thumbnail to view image in full size</p>
    </div>
    
    <div id="image_info" style="width:100%; text-align: center;">
        <h2>$cTitle</h2>
        <p>$cDate - [dd/mm/yyyy]</p>
        <p>$cExplanation</p>
    </div>
</body>

</html>
"@
}
# Create simple html document for videos.
else
{
    # Retrieve filemane only.
    $imgName = $cUrl.Substring($cUrl.LastIndexOf("/") + 1)

    # We don't have a thumbnail image.
    if($null -eq $cThumbnailUrl)
    {
        # Create video hyperlink.
        $cHyperlink = "<a href='$cUrl' target='blank' title='$cTitle'>$cUrl</a>"
    }
    # We do have a thumbnail image.
    else
    {
        # Create video hyperlink.
        $cHyperlink = "<a href='$cUrl' target='blank'><img src='$cThumbnailUrl' alt='$cTitle' title='$cTitle' width=650px></a>"
    }

    $cHTML = @"
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>

<head>
    <title>NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day</title>
</head>

<body>
    <h1 style="text-align: center;">NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day</h1>
    
    <div id="image" style="width:100%; text-align: center;">
        $cHyperlink
        <p>click hyperlink to view video in full size</p>
    </div>
    
    <div id="image_info" style="width:100%; text-align: center;">
        <h2>$cTitle</h2>
        <p>$cDate - [dd/mm/yyyy]</p>
        <p>$cExplanation</p>
    </div>
</body>

</html>
"@
}

# Output to console.
Write-Host("Creating HTML Document - Please Wait")

# Write HTML data to disk.
Set-Content -Path ($PSScriptRoot + "\nasa_apod_" + $cDateTime + ".html") -Value $cHTML

# Prompt user to view the HTML file.
$n = [System.Windows.MessageBox]::Show("Would you like to view the NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day in your Web Browser - [Y/N]", "View in Browser", "YesNo", "question")

# The man from Del Monte, he say yes.
if($n -eq "yes")
{
    # Launch default html app.
    Invoke-Item ($PSScriptRoot + "\nasa_apod_" + $cDateTime + ".html")
}

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#----------------------------------------------------------------------------#

# Program Copyright : Mike Wilcock.

# Program Name : nasa_apod.ps1.

#----------------------------------------------------------------------------#

# Program Created : 1st March 2025.

# Program Code Type : PowerShell Script (version 5.1.22621.436).

# Author : Michael Wilcock, IT Technician.

#----------------------------------------------------------------------------#

# Version : 1.51

#----------------------------------------------------------------------------#

# Purpose : Query the NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD) API

# and write the results as an html document.

#----------------------------------------------------------------------------#

Add-Type -AssemblyName PresentationCore,PresentationFramework

# Store API key.

$apiKey = "DEMO_KEY"

# Store date and time. Used in filename.

$cDateTime = Get-Date -Format "dd-MM-yyyy-HH-mm-ss"

# Output to console.

Write-Host("Getting APOD Data - Please Wait")

# Make web request.

try

{

# Youtube video.

#$imgInfo = Invoke-WebRequest -Uri "https://api.nasa.gov/planetary/apod?api_key=$apiKey&date=2025-01-05&thumbs=true" | ConvertFrom-Json

# Bespoke video without thumbnail.

#$imgInfo = Invoke-WebRequest -Uri "https://api.nasa.gov/planetary/apod?api_key=$apiKey&date=2025-03-02&thumbs=true" | ConvertFrom-Json

# Image / video of the day.

$imgInfo = Invoke-WebRequest -Uri "https://api.nasa.gov/planetary/apod?api_key=$apiKey&thumbs=true" | ConvertFrom-Json

}

# Error.

catch

{

[System.Windows.MessageBox]::Show("There was an error accessing the NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day API`n`n" + $_.Exception.Message + "`n`nThe program will now terminate.", "Error", "Ok", "error")

return

}

# Readability.

$cTitle = $imgInfo.title

$cExplanation = $imgInfo.explanation

$cHdUrl = $imgInfo.hdurl

$cUrl = $imgInfo.url

$cThumbnailUrl = $imgInfo.thumbnail_url

$cDate = ([DateTime]$imgInfo.date).ToString("dd\/MM\/yyyy") # British date.

# Create simple html document for iamges.

if($imgInfo.media_type -eq "image")

{

# Retrieve filemane only.

$imgName = $cHdUrl.Substring($cHdUrl.LastIndexOf("/") + 1)

# Output to console.

Write-Host("Saving Image File - Please Wait")

# Download image and save to disk.

Invoke-WebRequest -Uri $cHdUrl -OutFile ($PSScriptRoot + "\$imgName")

# Create image hyperlink.

$cHyperlink = "<a href='$imgName' target='blank'><img src='$imgName' alt='$cTitle' title='$cTitle' width=650px></a>"

$cHTML = @"

<!DOCTYPE html>

<html>

<head>

<title>NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day</title>

</head>

<body>

<h1 style="text-align: center;">NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day</h1>

$cHyperlink

<p>click thumbnail to view image in full size</p>

</div>

<h2>$cTitle</h2>

<p>$cDate - [dd/mm/yyyy]</p>

<p>$cExplanation</p>

</div>

</body>

</html>

}

# Create simple html document for videos.

else

{

# Retrieve filemane only.

$imgName = $cUrl.Substring($cUrl.LastIndexOf("/") + 1)

# We don't have a thumbnail image.

if($null -eq $cThumbnailUrl)

{

# Create video hyperlink.

$cHyperlink = "<a href='$cUrl' target='blank' title='$cTitle'>$cUrl</a>"

}

# We do have a thumbnail image.

else

{

# Create video hyperlink.

$cHyperlink = "<a href='$cUrl' target='blank'><img src='$cThumbnailUrl' alt='$cTitle' title='$cTitle' width=650px></a>"

}

$cHTML = @"

<!DOCTYPE html>

<html>

<head>

<title>NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day</title>

</head>

<body>

<h1 style="text-align: center;">NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day</h1>

$cHyperlink

<p>click hyperlink to view video in full size</p>

</div>

<h2>$cTitle</h2>

<p>$cDate - [dd/mm/yyyy]</p>

<p>$cExplanation</p>

</div>

</body>

</html>

}

# Output to console.

Write-Host("Creating HTML Document - Please Wait")

# Write HTML data to disk.

Set-Content -Path ($PSScriptRoot + "\nasa_apod_" + $cDateTime + ".html") -Value $cHTML

# Prompt user to view the HTML file.

$n = [System.Windows.MessageBox]::Show("Would you like to view the NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day in your Web Browser - [Y/N]", "View in Browser", "YesNo", "question")

# The man from Del Monte, he say yes.

if($n -eq "yes")

{

# Launch default html app.

Invoke-Item ($PSScriptRoot + "\nasa_apod_" + $cDateTime + ".html")

}