Amazing Night Sky Photos of Venus, Moon & More (Sept. 2012)

Missile Contrail with Venus and Moon

Ryan Eiger

Stargazer Ryan Eiger captured this stunning photo of an Army missile contrail along with Venus and the moon over Scottsdale, Ariz., before dawn on Sept. 13, 2012. The contrail was caused by an Amry Juno rocket during a missile intercept test from Fort Wingate near Gallup, N.M.

Rocket Contrail over New Mexico

Linda & Dr. Dick Buscher

Linda & Dr. Dick Buscher caught the contrail from a missile launch from Fort Wingate, NM, at their location in Anthem, AZ, at the north edge of Phoenix, 5:41 am on September 13, 2012.

The Canadian Space Agency's AuroraMAX Image September 12, 2012

AuroraMAX

AuroraMAX observatory took this image of an auroral display over Yellowknife, Canada, on September 12, 2012.

Moon, Venus and M44 Seen in Portland, Oregon

Brett Schaerer

Astrophotographer Brett Schaerer took this photo of the moon, Venus, and M44 from Portland, OR, on September 12, 2012.

Moon and Venus Conjuction over Maryland

Anne Goetz

Astrophotographer Anne Goetz took this shot of Venus and the moon from Hagerstown, MD, on September 12, 2012.

Supercharged Northern Lights Dance Over Finland

Ole Salomonsen (http://www.facebook.com/arcticlightphoto)

The northern lights, supercharged by a recent solar storm, dance above Naimakka, Finland, in this shot snapped on Sept. 4, 2012, by Ole Salomonsen.

The Moon and Venus over Bedford, TX

Mickey Welsh

Night sky watcher Mickey Welsh sent in this photo of the moon and Venus over Bedford, TX, taken September 12, 2012.

Venus and the Moon over West Orange, NJ

Tariq Malik/SPACE.com

SPACE.com Managing Editor Tariq Malik took this photo of Venus and the moon over West Orange, NJ, September 12, 2012.

Moon and Jupiter Seen in Long Beach, CA

Jim "Woody" Woods

Astrophotographer Jim "Woody" Woods sent in this photo of the moon and Jupiter he took at about 1 am, Saturday, Sept. 8, 2012 from his backyard in Long Beach, CA.

Perseid Meteor Shower 2012 Photographed by Voltmer

Sebastian Voltmer

A Perseid meteor shines over medieval Albrechtsberg castle near the town of Melk, Austria. Constellations Aquarius, Aquila, Delphinus (above and right of center) also appear in this skywatching photo. Astrophotographer Sebastian Voltmer took this image on Aug. 12, 2012. Image posted on Sept. 7.

Solar Filaments Dahl

Brett Dahl

Appearing like clouds, solar filaments are composed mainly of charged hydrogen gas. Brett Dahl captured this image from McKinney, Texas in August 2012.

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.