Best Space Photos of the Week — May 17, 2015

Aurora Australis West of Australia

Terry Virts (via Twitter as @AstroTerry)

On May 13, 2015, NASA astronaut Terry Virts tweeted this photo of the aurora australis west of Australia taken from the International Space Station. [Read the Full Story]

Click through this gallery to see more amazing space photos from the week.

Is Our Milky Way Under Scorpion Attack? Nope, Just Awesome Photos

Manish Mamtani

Photographer Manish Mamtani took this epic dragon selfie in Borrego Springs, California. [Read the Full Story]

ULA Photo of X-37B Space Place Payload

ULA (via Twitter as @ulalaunch)

On May 13, 2015, United Launch Alliance tweeted this photo of the AFSPC-5 mission payload being mated to its launch vehicle in Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. The launch, carrying the X-37B space plane, is set for May 20.

Milky Way Over Indian Astronomical Observatory

Navaneeth Unnikirshnan

Astrophotographer Navaneeth Unnikirshnan sent in a photo of the Milky Way taken on April 22, 2015, over the Indian Astronomical Observatory, Hanle, Ladakh, India. [Read the Full Story]

Dawn RC3 Image 10

NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA/MPS/DLR/IDA

NASA's Dawn spacecraft obtainted this image of dwarf planet Ceres on May 4, 2015, from a distance of 8,400 miles (13,600 km.). Image released May 12, 2015.

Coast of Hokkaido from International Space Station Expedition 42

Samantha Cristoforetti

European Space Agency astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti took this photograph from the International Space Station during Expedition 42 and posted it to social media on May 11, 2015. Cristoforetti wrote," The sun glint creating magic off the coast of Hokkaido. Hello #Japan! #HelloEarth." [Read the Full Story]

Good Night from International Space Station Expedition 42

Samantha Cristoforetti

European Space Agency astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti took this photograph from the International Space Station during Expedition 42 and posted it to social media on May 11, 2015. Cristoforetti wrote, "Good night from #space. Buona notte dallo spazio." [Read the Full Story]

All 5 of Pluto's Known Moons Spied by NASA Probe

NASA/JHU-APL/SwRI

NASA's New Horizons spacecraft has snapped its first-ever family portrait of the Pluto system, capturing the dwarf planet and all five of its known moons. [Read the Full Story]

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