Best Space Photos of the Week - June 15, 2013

Lightweight Galaxy Is the Smallest Ever Found

Garrison-Kimmel, Bullock (UCI)

An ultra-faint collection of 1,000 stars orbiting the Milky Way is the most lightweight galaxy ever discovered, scientists say. [Full Story]

China's Shenzhou 10 Mission in Photos

CCTV

See photos of China’s fifth manned space mission, Shenzhou 10. [See more photos]

Lonely Dwarf Galaxy Spins in Dragon’s Lair

Bob and Janice Fera

The dwarf spiral galaxy NGC 6503 glows beautifully in the constellation Draco (the Dragon) in this recent night sky photo. [Full Story]

New Type of Variable Star Found

ESO

Scientists using a telescope in the Southern Hemisphere have identified a new kind of variable star, shown in a new photo released by the European Space Agency. [Full Story]

'Running Man' Races in Spectacular Nebula Photo

Copyright 2013 Bernard Miller

The Running Man Nebula sprints into focus in this beautiful night sky photo. [Full Story]

Some Mars Gullies May Be Carved by Dry Ice 'Sleds'

NASA/JPL-Caltech/Univ. of Arizona

Enigmatic tracks etched onto the slopes of Martian sand dunes may have been carved by sleds of dry ice, a new study reports. [Full Story]

Trove of Black Holes Discovered in Andromeda Galaxy

X-ray (NASA/CXC/SAO/R.Barnard, Z.Lee et al.), Optical (NOAO/AURA/NSF/REU Prog./B.Schoening, V.Harvey; Descubre Fndn./CAHA/OAUV/DSA/V.Peris)

Astronomers have discovered 26 new likely black holes in the neighboring Andromeda galaxy — the largest haul of black hole candidates ever found in a galaxy apart from our own. [Full Story]

Awe-Inspiring Aurora Dances Over Crater Lake

Brad Goldpaint | Goldpaint Photography

The purple glow of the aurora borealis dances over Crater Lake in this beautiful night sky photo. [Full Story]

Milky Way Neighbor Galaxies Get Amazing Portraits in UV

NASA/Swift/S. Immler (Goddard) and M. Siegel (Penn State)

Stitching together thousands of images, astronomers have created the most detailed ultraviolet light portraits of the Milky Way's two closest neighbors: the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds. [Full Story]

Hair, Flow It, Show It

NASA (via Flickr as NASA: 2Explore)

Karen Nyberg, Expedition 36 flight engineer, takes a floating break in the Unity node aboard the International Space Station, on June 3, 2013. [See More Images]

Sunset Trail

ESA/S. Corvaja

An Ariane 5 VA213 rocket lifted off from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana with ESA's fourth Automated Transfer Vehicle, Albert Einstein, sending cargo to the International Space Station on June 5, 2013. ATV Albert Einstein carried 44,000 lbs. (20,190 kg), the most weight of any spacecraft ever launched by Ariane, beating predecessor ATV Edoardo Amaldi by 330 lbs. (150 kg.). [See More Images]

Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: community@space.com.

Space.com Staff
News and editorial team

Space.com is the premier source of space exploration, innovation and astronomy news, chronicling (and celebrating) humanity's ongoing expansion across the final frontier. Originally founded in 1999, Space.com is, and always has been, the passion of writers and editors who are space fans and also trained journalists. Our current news team consists of Editor-in-Chief Tariq Malik; Editor Hanneke Weitering, Senior Space Writer Mike Wall; Senior Writer Meghan Bartels; Senior Writer Chelsea Gohd, Senior Writer Tereza Pultarova and Staff Writer Alexander Cox, focusing on e-commerce. Senior Producer Steve Spaleta oversees our space videos, with Diana Whitcroft as our Social Media Editor.