Best Space Photos of the Week - April 7, 2012

Photos: Spectacular Comet Views from Earth and Space

John Laborde

This photograph of Comet West, one of the greatest comets of all-time, was taken by amateur astronomer John Laborde. The picture shows the two distinct tails. The thin blue ion tail is made up of gases, while the broad white tail is made up of tiny dust particles. [More Images]

Images: North Korea's Rocket and Missile Program

Image (c) 2012 DigitalGlobe, Inc.

This DigitalGlobe 50-cm-resolution natural color image of the North Korean launch site at Tongchang-ri, in the northwest part of the country, was taken March 28, 2012. DigitalGlobe imagery confirms a higher level of activity within the overall facility and significant activity at the launch pad specifically, ahead of a satellite launch planned between April 12 and April 16. [More Images]

Skywatcher Photo Catches Cosmic 'Tadpoles' in Celestial Pond

Bill Snyder

From his home observatory in Connellsville, Pa., avid astrophotographer Bill Snyder took this stunning photo of the tadpoles of emission nebula IC410 on Jan. 15, 2012. IC410 is located roughly 12,000 light years away toward the constellation Auriga. [Full Story]

Astronauts Snap 1 Million Photos from Space Station

Don Pettit (via Twitter as @astro_Pettit)

Astronauts on the International Space Station have the ultimate 24/7 view of planet Earth, and the photo album to prove it: The shutterbug astronauts recently snapped the millionth photo from the orbiting lab. [Full Story]

Stunning Photos: Earth from Space by Astronaut André Kuipers

NASA/ESA

European astronaut André Kuipers captured this photo of the Mediterranean Sea from the International Space Station on Jan. 4, 2012. Greece is visible on the left, with the continent of Africa located on the right. [More Images]

Skywatcher Snaps Stunning Celestial Trio Over Budapest Castle

Tamas Ladanyi / the World at Night

Jupiter, the moon and Venus align in the night sky over Buda Castle in this skywatcher's image. The three celestial objects formed a conjunction in the sky. A conjunction occurs when two celestial bodies, Venus and Jupiter in this case, appear near each other. [Full Story]

Photos: NASA's Amazing T-38 Supersonic Jet Planes

NASA/Paul E. Alers

Two NASA T-38 training jets are seen as they fly near the U.S. Capitol, Thursday, April 5, 2012, in Washington. NASA, in cooperation with the Federal Aviation Administration, conducted training and photographic flights over the DC metropolitan area. [More Images]

'Two-Tailed Comet' Cruises By Star Cluster in Skywatching Photo

Bill Snyder

Comet Garradd sails slowly past globular star cluster M92 in this stunning image. Skywatcher Bill Snyder took this photo on Feb. 3, 2012 from Heavens Mirror Observatory in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. [Full Story]

Huge Martian Dust Devil Churns in New Photo

NASA/JPL-Caltech/UA

NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has spotted a 12-mile-high dust devil whipping across the Red Planet's surface. [Full Story]

Origins of the Universe Exposed in Dazzling 3D Videos

Courtesy of KIPAC

The mysteries of the universe – from the first stars and supernovas to galaxy clusters and dark matter ¬- are being revealed in full-color, high-definition 3-D videos played on screens at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory campus, and at museums in New York and San Francisco. [Full Story]

Conjunction Junction: Venus and Jupiter Meet Over Pakistan in Skywatching Photo

Baqir Naqvi / Pakistan Amateur Astronomers Society

Astrophotographer Baqir Naqvi of the Pakistan Amateur Astronomers Society took this magnificent photo of Venus and Jupiter in conjunction over the western horizon of Quetta, Pakistan on March 13, 2012. [Full Story]

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Space.com Staff
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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.