Best Space Pictures of the Week - Dec. 7, 2012

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Most Distant Black Hole X-Ray Blast Discovered

Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/NRC/C.Cheung et al; Optical: NASA/STScI; Radio: NSF/NRAO/VLA

The most distant X-ray jet ever observed has been discovered some 12.4 billion light years from Earth, giving astronomers a peek at the life of giant black holes not long after the Big Bang. [Full Story]

2 of 9

Moon Surprisingly Battered, New Lunar Gravity Map Reveals

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/CSM

NASA will unveil the latest discoveries from its GRAIL mission to map the moon’s gravity. The twin Grail probes have revealed a detailed view of the interior of the moon’s crust. [Full Story]

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Black Marble: Stunning New Images of Earth at Night

Credit: NASA Earth Observatory/NOAA NGDC

NASA released a slew of images showing what Earth looks like from space at night. [Full Story]

4 of 9

Exoplanet Catalog Reveals 7 Possibly Habitable Worlds

Credit: PHL @ UPR Arecibo, ESA/Hubble, NASA

The Habitable Exoplanets Catalog has seven candidate planets listed so far, and the pace of discovery is increasing, says its founder. [Full Story]

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Glowing Nebula Photo Marks New Telescope's Inauguration

Credit: ESO. Acknowledgement: VPHAS+ Consortium/Cambridge Astronomical Survey Unit

A spectacular new image of the star-forming Carina Nebula has been captured by the VLT Survey Telescope at ESO’s Paranal Observatory. [Full Story]

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Galaxy Crash is a Cosmic Bullseye

Credit: NASA, ESA

Two galaxies crashed into each other in a head-on collision, creating a cosmic bullseye seen by the Hubble Space Telescope. [Full Story]

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Mars Mountains Look Frosty in New Images

Credit: ESA/DLR/FU Berlin (G. Neukum)

A European spacecraft orbiting Mars has snapped wintry-looking pictures of a mountain range on the Red Planet's southern highlands, where ridges and crater floors are dusted with carbon dioxide frost. [Full Story]

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Orion and Jupiter Shine Above Dense Fog in Stunning Photos

Credit: Michael Plishka

The constellation Orion, the hunter, and the mighty planet Jupiter are clearly visible in two night sky photos, despite a very foggy Illinois night. [Full Story]

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Brown Dwarf Stars Could Host Earth-Size Planets, Study Finds

Credit: ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO)/M. Kornmesser (ESO)

Astronomers have made observations of a brown dwarf and discovered a dusty disk with tiny solid grains commonly seen around stars. This gives rise to a new theory for planetary formation: that brown dwarfs could have rocky, Earth-like planets. [Full Story]