Best Space Photos of the Week - March 10, 2013

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October 2012 Night Sky Guide (Sky Map Gallery)

A ULA Atlas 5 rocket launches the U.S. military's SBIRS GEO-2 missile defense satellite into orbit from Florida on March 19, 2013.

US Military Launches Missile Defense Satellite (Photos)

Images: Best Stargazing Events of August 2013 (Sky Maps)

SPOT Satellite Images of World Trade Center Fires

9/11 Remembered in Space Photos

A Digitized Sky Survey image of the Methuselah Star, the oldest known star in our galaxy.

The Methuselah Star: Oldest Known Star Revealed (Gallery)

Image of the Day: March 2012

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Huge Rocket Launch Lights Up Tropical Night Sky (Photo)

Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace/Optique Video du CSG

A massive European rocket launches into darkening skies over tropical South America in this stunning photo. [Full Story]

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Cool Nebula Glows Blue in Stunning Night Sky Photo

Credit: Bill Snyder Astrophotography

A cool nebula glows a dazzling blue in an amazing new space photo. Veteran astrophotographer Bill Snyder captured the spectacular photo of NGC 1491. [Full Story]

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The Methuselah Star: Oldest Known Star Revealed (Gallery)

Credit: Digitized Sky Survey (DSS), STScI/AURA, Palomar/Caltech, and UKSTU/AAO

This Digitized Sky Survey image shows the oldest star with a well-determined age in our galaxy. Called the Methuselah star, HD 140283 is 190.1 light-years away. Astronomers refined the star's age to about 14.5 billion years (which is older than the universe), plus or minus 800 million years. [See the full photo gallery]

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Comet of the Century? Sun-Grazing Comet ISON Explained (Infographic)

Credit: Karl Tate, SPACE.com contributor

Sungrazing comet C/2012 S1 (ISON) makes its closest approach to the sun on Nov. 28; could be a spectacular view from Earth. [Full Story]

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Celestial Swan Soars Over Castle Ruins in Amazing Photo

Credit: P-M Heden / Clearskies.se / The World at Night

Constellation Cygnus and star Deneb beam brightly above an ancient castle ruin in this beautiful night sky photo by P.M. Heden from Uppasala, Sweden. [Full Story]

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NASA Spacecraft Makes 1st Complete Map of Planet Mercury

Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington

NASA’s Messenger spacecraft has fully mapped the planet Mercury for the first time, scientists said. [Full Story]

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Wow! Rare Photos Capture 2 Comets Together in Night Sky

Credit: Yuri Beletsky

Stargazers have captured stunning photos of Comet Pan-STARRS and Lemmon together in the night sky. Yuri Beletsky and Justin Tilbrook took the amazing images. [Full Story]

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Hubble Telescope's 'Space Invader' Galaxy Photos

Credit: NASA, ESA, and Z. Levay (STScI)

This Hubble Space Telescope image shows the size scale of the "Space Invader" galaxy spotted in the upper left of the frame. The image captures the galaxy cluster Abell 68. [See the full photo gallery]

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Amazing Hourglass Nebula Photo Captured by Patient Stargazer

Credit: Bill Snyder Astrophotography

Veteran astrophotographer Bill Snyder captured this image on Oct. 13, 2012 from Heavens Mirror Observatory in California's Sierra Nevada Mountains. [Full Story]

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NASA Spacecraft Photographs Venus as Seen from Saturn

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute

Venus gleams over Saturn's enormous shoulder in two stunning new photos from NASA's Cassini spacecraft, which is orbiting the ringed planet. [Full Story]

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Stargazers Snap Spectacular View of Cigar Galaxy (Photo)

Credit: Bob and Janice Fera

The dynamic starburst galaxy, Messier 82, is captured beautifully in this night sky photo. Astrophotographers Bob and Janice Fera took this image of M82, also known as the Cigar Galaxy, on Feb. 11 to Feb. 15, from Eagle Ridge Observatory in Foresthill, Calif. [Full Story]

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Swedish Stargazer Snaps Family Portrait with Milky Way

Credit: P-M Heden / Clearskies.se / The World at Night

A family looks to the stars on a stunning night in Sweden. [Full Story]

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When the Moon Hits Your Eye Like a Big Pisa Pie

Credit: Giuseppe Petricca

Astrophotographer Giuseppe Petricca sent in a photo of the last quarter moon over Pisa, Italy, taken on March 2, 2013. He writes: “The scenery was wonderful, with the last quarter moon slowly climbing above the horizon, hiding briefly behind some thin clouds.... Really an enjoyable view, to say the least!” [See More Images]

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Evil Eye?

Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA. Acknowledgement: J.-C. Lambry

The Hubble Space Telescope shows planetary nebula ESO 456-67 glowing like a giant eye in space. A planetary nebula arises when a dying Sun-like star flings its shells of dust and gas into space. (A planetary nebula has nothing to do with planets, but the misleading nomenclature resulted from the confusion of early astronomers using weak telescopes.) ESO 456-67 lies in the southern sky. in the constellation of Sagittarius (The Archer). [See More Images]

Best Space Photos of the Week - March 10, 2013

Huge Rocket Launch Lights Up Tropical Night Sky (Photo)

Cool Nebula Glows Blue in Stunning Night Sky Photo

The Methuselah Star: Oldest Known Star Revealed (Gallery)

Comet of the Century? Sun-Grazing Comet ISON Explained (Infographic)

Celestial Swan Soars Over Castle Ruins in Amazing Photo

NASA Spacecraft Makes 1st Complete Map of Planet Mercury

Wow! Rare Photos Capture 2 Comets Together in Night Sky

Hubble Telescope's 'Space Invader' Galaxy Photos

Amazing Hourglass Nebula Photo Captured by Patient Stargazer

NASA Spacecraft Photographs Venus as Seen from Saturn

Stargazers Snap Spectacular View of Cigar Galaxy (Photo)

Swedish Stargazer Snaps Family Portrait with Milky Way

When the Moon Hits Your Eye Like a Big Pisa Pie

Evil Eye?

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