Best Space Photos of the Week - May 20, 2012 | Space Images

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How to Safely Photograph the Sun (A Photo Guide)

Credit: Imelda Joson and Edwin Aguirre

Eclipse or not, always use a proper filter when observing or photographing the sun. Regular sunglasses and photographic polarizing or neutral-density (ND) filters are not safe for use on the sun. [Full Photo Gallery]

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Antarctica from Above: Watch the Birth of an Iceberg

Credit: Jefferson Beck/NASA

A gigantic plain of ice clinging to the edge of Antarctica is splitting in two. The Pine Island Glacier ice shelf is giving birth to a giant iceberg, and NASA scientists happened to be on hand to catch some stunning, up-close views of the action. [Full Story]

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Mock Mars Rover Takes Desert Test Drive

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

NASA took a mock-up of its next Mars rover out to Death Valley's dunes, to test out the robot's sand-driving performance. [Full Story]

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Omega Centauri Shines Over Dark Forest in Skywatcher Photo

Credit: Tunc Tezel / TWAN

Omega Centauri, the brightest and largest known globular cluster in the Milky Way, shines brightly over a dark forest in this skywatching photo. [Full Story]

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Gallery: Aliens Invade Earth in 'Battleship' Film

Credit: Newsarama

A movie poster for "Battleship", based on the classic board game. [Full Photo Gallery]

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Weird Galaxy Glows Bright in Amazing Telescope Photo

Credit: ESO

The strange galaxy Centaurus A is pictured in a new image from the European Southern Observatory. The image was produced by the MPG/ESO 2.2-meter telescope at the La Silla Observatory in Chile. [Full Story]

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Breathtaking View of Earth Taken by Russian Satellite

Credit: NTsOMZ

Think of it as an amped up version of the iconic "Blue Marble" image. A new photo of Earth from space highlights the striking beauty and intensely rich colors of our home planet. [Full Story]

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Rocket from Russia

Credit: S.P. Korolev RSC "Energia"

A Soyuz TMA-04M spacecraft lifted off from Baikonur launch site at 07:01:23 AM Moscow Time on May 15, 2012. The spacecraft brings three spaceflyers to complete the six-person crew of Expedition 31. The crew of Soyuz TMA-04M consists of Russian cosmonauts Gennady Padalka (commander) and Sergei Revin (flight engineer) and US astronaut Joseph Acaba (flight engineer). [More Images]

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Will It Go Round in Circles

Credit: Don Pettit (via Twitter as @astro_Pettit)

Astronaut Don Pettit, on board the International Space Station as a member of Expedition 30/31 tweeted this photo from space. He described it as: “Pac-man in Brazil as seen from ISS http://pic.twitter.com/0tP9EgoP.” Looks more like pie charts to us. [More Images]

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Ancient Asteroid Impact on the Moon

Credit: Dan Durda/FIAAA

This artist's impression illustrates how the early moon (and Earth) were reshaped by an intense period of bombardment. Asteroids appear to be the dominant impactors. [ Get More Images]

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Star Trails Seen from the ISS in Swirls

Credit: Don Pettit

Expedition 31 Flight Engineer Don Pettit took photos of star trails, terrestrial lights, airglow and auroras while aboard the International Space Station. Image taken May 17, 2012. [ Get More Images]

Best Space Photos of the Week - May 20, 2012