Best Space Photos of the Week - April 7, 2012

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The Big Bang: Solid Theory, But Mysteries Remain

Images: Peering Back to the Big Bang & Early Universe

Rednecks pose with their moonshine-powered rocket post-launch. (L to R) Michael Taylor, Travis Taylor, Charles "Daddy" Taylor, Pete Erbach (standing), Rog Jones.

Photos: Behind the Scenes of 'Rocket City Rednecks'

Gallery: Universe's Cosmic Microwave Background Revealed by Planck Observatory

The Sun Revealed: Photos of the Million-Degree Solar Corona

Mars On Earth: NASA's Grand Canyon 'Martian' Trek (Photos)

NASA's Juno probe set to investigate Jupiter (infographic)

Gallery: NASA's Juno Mission to Jupiter

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Photos: Spectacular Comet Views from Earth and Space

Credit: John Laborde

This photograph of Comet West, one of the greatest comets of all-time, was taken by amateur astronomer John Laborde. The picture shows the two distinct tails. The thin blue ion tail is made up of gases, while the broad white tail is made up of tiny dust particles. [More Images]

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Images: North Korea's Rocket and Missile Program

This DigitalGlobe 50-cm-resolution natural color image of the North Korean launch site at Tongchang-ri, in the northwest part of the country, was taken March 28, 2012. DigitalGlobe imagery confirms a higher level of activity within the overall facility and significant activity at the launch pad specifically, ahead of a satellite launch planned between April 12 and April 16. [More Images]

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Skywatcher Photo Catches Cosmic 'Tadpoles' in Celestial Pond

Credit: Bill Snyder

From his home observatory in Connellsville, Pa., avid astrophotographer Bill Snyder took this stunning photo of the tadpoles of emission nebula IC410 on Jan. 15, 2012. IC410 is located roughly 12,000 light years away toward the constellation Auriga. [Full Story]

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Astronauts Snap 1 Million Photos from Space Station

Credit: Don Pettit (via Twitter as @astro_Pettit)

Astronauts on the International Space Station have the ultimate 24/7 view of planet Earth, and the photo album to prove it: The shutterbug astronauts recently snapped the millionth photo from the orbiting lab. [Full Story]

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Stunning Photos: Earth from Space by Astronaut André Kuipers

Credit: NASA/ESA

European astronaut André Kuipers captured this photo of the Mediterranean Sea from the International Space Station on Jan. 4, 2012. Greece is visible on the left, with the continent of Africa located on the right. [More Images]

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Skywatcher Snaps Stunning Celestial Trio Over Budapest Castle

Credit: Tamas Ladanyi / the World at Night

Jupiter, the moon and Venus align in the night sky over Buda Castle in this skywatcher's image. The three celestial objects formed a conjunction in the sky. A conjunction occurs when two celestial bodies, Venus and Jupiter in this case, appear near each other. [Full Story]

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Photos: NASA's Amazing T-38 Supersonic Jet Planes

Credit: NASA/Paul E. Alers

Two NASA T-38 training jets are seen as they fly near the U.S. Capitol, Thursday, April 5, 2012, in Washington. NASA, in cooperation with the Federal Aviation Administration, conducted training and photographic flights over the DC metropolitan area. [More Images]

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'Two-Tailed Comet' Cruises By Star Cluster in Skywatching Photo

Credit: Bill Snyder

Comet Garradd sails slowly past globular star cluster M92 in this stunning image. Skywatcher Bill Snyder took this photo on Feb. 3, 2012 from Heavens Mirror Observatory in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. [Full Story]

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Huge Martian Dust Devil Churns in New Photo

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/UA

NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has spotted a 12-mile-high dust devil whipping across the Red Planet's surface. [Full Story]

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Origins of the Universe Exposed in Dazzling 3D Videos

Credit: Courtesy of KIPAC

The mysteries of the universe – from the first stars and supernovas to galaxy clusters and dark matter ¬- are being revealed in full-color, high-definition 3-D videos played on screens at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory campus, and at museums in New York and San Francisco. [Full Story]

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Conjunction Junction: Venus and Jupiter Meet Over Pakistan in Skywatching Photo

Credit: Baqir Naqvi / Pakistan Amateur Astronomers Society

Astrophotographer Baqir Naqvi of the Pakistan Amateur Astronomers Society took this magnificent photo of Venus and Jupiter in conjunction over the western horizon of Quetta, Pakistan on March 13, 2012. [Full Story]

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Amazing Photo Captures Robot Cargo Ship's Space Station Arrival

Credit: NASA

Astronauts aboard the International Space Station captured an extraordinary photo of an unmanned European cargo ship as it docked to the orbiting outpost last week. [Full Story]

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Cosmic Collision Likely Spawned Massive Nearby Galaxy

Credit: Far-infrared: ESA/Herschel/PACS/SPIRE/C.D. Wilson, MacMaster University, Canada; X-ray: ESA/XMM-Newton/EPIC

New observations from two European spacecraft strengthen the view that the huge nearby galaxy Centaurus A was created by the collision of two older galaxies. [Full Story]