APOD Bots - Automated Astronomy

I developed two automated systems that daily publish the **Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD)** from NASA on different social media networks, each adapted to the technical specifications and best practices of each platform.

APOD on Instagram (@apodinsta)

This bot automatically publishes the daily APOD on Instagram, processing both images and videos with special formatting for each media type.

Main Features:

Media Detection: Identifies whether the APOD is an image, direct video, or embedded video (including YouTube links)
Video Processing:
- Downloads videos from various sources including direct NASA links and YouTube
- Processes videos to meet Instagram specifications (60s max, 1080p resolution)
- Includes alternative methods when direct download fails
Caption Generation:
- Uses the Google Gemini API to translate the English explanation into Brazilian Portuguese
- Formats the caption appropriately for Instagram
Reliable Upload:
- Implements mock systems for Instagram video upload requirements
- Includes multiple alternative upload methods

Technologies Used:

Python Instagrapi FFmpeg Google Gemini API NASA API

APOD on Twitter/X and Bluesky (@nasapod and @nasapodsky)

This more sophisticated bot publishes on both Twitter/X and Bluesky simultaneously, with specific optimizations for each platform and thread support for long explanations.

Main Features:

Multi-platform Support:
- Publishes on both Twitter (X) and Bluesky simultaneously
- Formats content appropriately for each platform
Intelligent Content Handling:
- For images: resizes and optimizes for each platform's specifications
- For videos: downloads and crops to 140s for Twitter compatibility
- For GIFs: preserves animation while optimizing file size
Threaded Explanations:
- Splits long explanations into chained posts
- Maintains conversation structure on both platforms
Accessibility:
- Uses Gemini AI to generate descriptive alt text for images
- Creates appropriate hashtags for discoverability
Historical Posts:
- Can post random historical APODs (not just current day)
- Special posting schedule at 7 AM for the current day's image

Technologies Used:

Python Tweepy Bluesky API FFmpeg Google Gemini API NASA API

Shared Infrastructure

Both bots utilize:

NASA APOD API to fetch daily content
Google Gemini AI for translations and alt text generation
Robust error handling and notification systems
Platform-specific authentication and session management
Media processing with FFmpeg for video/image optimization

Deployment

The bots run on a scheduled basis (the Instagram bot daily, the Twitter/Bluesky bot multiple times a day with historical content) using:

Environment variables for secure credential storage
Automated session management
Cloud hosting for 24/7 operation