Best Space Pictures of the Week - July 7, 2012

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Active Sunspot Shoots Off Intense New Solar Flare

Credit: NASA/SDO/AIA

NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory captured an image of the sun during an M6.1 solar flare that peaked early in the morning on July 5. Active region 1515, where the flare originated, has now spit out 12 medium strength, or M-class, flares since July 3. [Full Story]

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Spectacular Full Moon Shines Over Paris, City of Light

Credit: VegaStar Carpentier

A gigantic full moon looms over Paris in this spectacular night sky view. [Full Story]

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Heron Galaxy Spears Deep Space 'Fish' in Night Sky Photo

Credit: Bill Snyder Astrophotography

The aptly named Heron Galaxy appears to be spearing a fish in this night sky photo. [Full Story]

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Video from Space: Army Builds 'Mud Island' on US East Coast

Credit: NASA/GSFC

A new time-lapse video reveals the view from space during an ambitious U.S. Army project to rebuild an eroding island on the U.S. East Coast. [Full Story]

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NASA Space Telescope Snaps Its First Black Hole Picture

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

-- NASA's newest space telescope, NuSTAR, has opened its X-ray eyes to take its first pictures of the high-energy universe. [Full Story]

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July Night Sky 2012: Amazing Amateur Observer Photos

Credit: Fred Monro

Venus and Jupiter shine in the sky over night sky Coolangatta, Australia. The image was taken by Fred Monro on July 1, 2012. [More Amazing Space Photos]

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Astronaut's Photo Captures Blazing Wyoming Wildfire

Credit: NASA

Astronauts and satellites alike have captured ominous images from space of a fast-growing wildfire that is blazing across Wyoming. [Full Story]

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Solar Flare Photos: Sun Storms Erupt From Sunspot AR1515

Credit: NASA/SDO/AIA

The Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) captured this image of the sun during an M6.1 flare that peaked at 7:44 AM EDT on July 5, 2012. The image is shown in the 304 Angstrom wavelength, which is typically colorized in red. [Full Photo Gallery]

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Here Comes the Strong Jet

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SSI

A strong jet stream shoots through Saturn's northern hemisphere in this image by NASA's Cassini spacecraft. Clouds associated with the jet stream are visible starting from the right side of the image about a third of the way down, appearing as a thin, peach-colored horizontal line with a hockey stick-like bend at the western end. Beyond that, blurrier jet stream clouds continue to move along the latitude circle. The images making up this photo were taken with the Cassini spacecraft wide-angle camera on Jan. 13, 2008. Image released June 25, 2012. [More Amazing Daily Space Photos]

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I Can't See You

Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA

Star cluster Messier 10 lies about 15 000 light-years from Earth, in the constellation of Ophiuchus (The Serpent Bearer). At around 80 light-years across, it should appear about two-thirds the size of the moon. However, it is too dim, even at its core, to see with the naked eye. [More Amazing Daily Space Photos]