Spectacular Night Sky Photos for April 2014 (Stargazing Gallery)

Moonrise Over Ocean City, New Jersey

Jim Abels

Astrophotographer Jim Abels traveled to Ocean City at the bottom of New Jersey to capture this moonrise and the Milky Way. Image submitted April 25, 2014.

Cone Nebula, Christmas Tree Star Cluster and Fox Fur Nebula by Fields and Hancock

Robert Fields | Terry Hancock

The Cone Nebula (left of center), the Christmas Tree star cluster (top of the tree next to the Cone Nebula) and the Fox Fur Nebula (center) are located roughly 2700 light years in the constellation Monoceros. This image was captured by Terry Hancock of DownUnder Observatory in Fremont, Mich., and Robert Fields of Irving Observatory in Howell Township, Mich. and sent to Space.com on April 11, 2014. [Read the Full Story Behind This Photo]

Yellow Fireball Lyrid over Rhode Island

Deb Kestler

Astrophotographer Deb Kestler sent in a photo of a Lyrid meteor taken over Rhode Island on April 22, 2014.

Messier 42 by Miguel Claro

Miguel Claro | www.miguelclaro.com

The Orion Nebula, also known as Messier 42 or NGC 1976, is located approximately 1,500 light-years from Earth. Miguel Claro took the photo in Serra de Aire, Portugal near the Mira de Aire Caves complex. He used a portable Vixen Polarie Star Tracker Mount with a Canon 60Da camera and Astro Professional ED 80 telescope to capture the image, which was posted on Space.com on April 11, 2014. [Read the full story behind this photo here]

Aurora Over Alaska

Dora Miller/www.AuroraDora.com

Astrophotographer Dora Miller sent in a photo of an auroral display over Alaska, taken April 20, 2014. Miller is based in Talkeetna, AK.

2014 Lyrid Meteor Over Texas

Tony Corso

Astrophotographer Tony Corso sent in a photo of a Lyrid meteor taken in Lamar county, northeast Texas, near Paris, on April 22, 2014.

Suspected Meteorite Explosion Over Murmansk

@RussiaToday (via youtube.com)

A suspected meteorite explosion recorded over the northern Russian city of Murmansk on April 19, 2014 (local time). [See the Video and Read the Full Story Here]

The Blood Moon Total Lunar Eclipse of April 15, 2014: Victor Rogus

Victor Rogus

Stargazer Victor Rogus captured this spectacular view of the total lunar eclipse on April 15, 2014 from Jadwin, Missouri. "Very beautiful event!" Rogus exclaimed. [See our Full Photo Gallery for the April 15 Total Lunar Eclipse]

Total Lunar Eclipse from Florida

Ben Cooper

Photographer Ben Cooper captured the phases of the total lunar eclipse on April 15, 2014 from Florida. [See our Full Photo Gallery for the April 15 Total Lunar Eclipse]

'Blood Moon' Multi-Frame Composite Image

NASA (via Flickr as NASA: 2Explore)

From open prairie land on the 1625-acre Johnson Space Center site, a JSC photographer took this multi-frame composite image of the so-called "Blood Moon" lunar eclipse in the early hours of April 15. [See our Full Photo Gallery for the April 15 Total Lunar Eclipse]

Moon Rises Over Citadel by Giuseppe Petricca

Giuseppe Petricca

Giuseppe Petricca sent Space.com this image of the moon over a citadel near the Arno River, in Pisa, Italy on March 3, 2014. Posted April 24. [Read the Full Story Behind This Photo,]

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