Best Space Photos of the Week - June 22, 2013

Flare Star Gets 15 Times Brighter in Minutes

Casey Reed-NASA

Scientists say they watched a normally dull star in Ursa Major, the Great Bear constellation, give off an incredible flare, increasing its brightness 15-fold in just three minutes, before returning to normal. [Full Story]

Black Hole's Guts Modeled in Supercomputer Simulation

NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center/J. Schnittman, J. Krolik (JHU) and S. Noble (RIT)

A group of scientists using a supercomputer in Texas have peered into the inner-workings of a black hole.[Full Story]

Interstellar Space Travel Art Contest Launches

Stephan Martiniere/National Geographic

The FarMaker Interstellar Speed Sketch 2013 contest, organized by the Starship Congress conference, is soliciting concept art on the theme of interstellar travel and Project Daedalus. [Full Story]

Astronaut 'I Scream': New NASA Astronaut Candidates Excited to Be Chosen

NASA

Ann McClain's mother was in her front yard rose garden when her daughter called with the news. "You'll never forget this moment," McClain, a 34-year-old major in the U.S. Army told her mom. "I've been selected as an astronaut candidate." [Full Story]

Three's Company In Space: Stargazers Spot Galaxy Trio

Terry Hancock / Fred Hermann

A stargazing team captured spiral galaxy NGC 5985, NGC 5982 and edge-on spiral galaxy NGC 5981 in this cool night sky photo. [Full Story]

Wow! Mars Rover Captures Stunning Billion-Pixel Photo of Red Planet

NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

A new billion-pixel panoramic photo from NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity shows the Red Planet in incredible detail. [Full Story]

Chinese Astronauts Beam 1st Science Lesson from Space

Xinhua

Three Chinese astronauts currently living onboard the nation’s space module beamed down a science lesson for students in their home country. [Full Story]

Galaxy Crash Spawns Space Penguin in Hubble Telescope Photo

NASA, ESA and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)

Two galaxies merging in a distant part of the universe have created a cosmic penguin protecting its egg. See the image here. [Full Story]

Rocket Launches 4 Tiny Satellites on Test Flight

NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis

The Garvey Spacecraft Corporation's Prospector 18 rocket lifts off on June 18, 2013, carrying its payload of CubeSats. Despite a hard landing, all four satellites were recovered. [ See More Images]

Amazing Satellite Photos Show Earth's Plant Life from Space

NASA/NOAA

Scientists have pieced together a year's worth of photos from the powerful Earth-watching Suomi NPP satellite to create the most detailed look ever of our world's plant life as seen from space. [See More Images]

Satellite Photo Shows Earth's Summer Solstice from Space

NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center

An amazing satellite photo shows Earth on the summer solstice of June 21, marking the start of summer and longest day of the year for the Northern Hemisphere. [Full Story]

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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.