Best Space Photos of the Week - Aug. 24, 2013

Glowing Northern Lights Dance in Real-Time in Spectacular Aurora Video

Aurora Borealis Over Sweden — Chad Blakley/LightsOverLapland.com

A new video shows a "virtual real-time" view of the Northern Lights, or aurora borealis, from Sweden's Abisko National Park. [Read the Full Story]

Star Birth Drama Captured by Giant Radio Telescope

A huge radio telescope in Chile has captured dazzling new views of a baby star lighting up an interstellar cloud with jets of gas streaking through deep space at record-breaking speeds. [Read the Full Story]

Comet Makes Suicidal Plunge Into Sun (Video)

Sungrazing Comet Seen by SOHO Spacecraft — SOHO/NASA-ESA

A small comet is diving headlong toward the sun, presaging the highly anticipated close solar approach of Comet ISON a few months from now. [Read the Full Story]

Earth Waves at Saturn in Colossal NASA Collage (Photo)

Cassini Releases Image of Earth Waving at Saturn — NASA/JPL-Caltech

When a NASA spacecraft snapped photos of Earth as it appeared from Saturn in July, the space agency hoped all of humanity would wave back. Now, thanks to an amazing collage, you can see photos taken that day by the space fans around the world that actually waved at the ringed planet. [Read the Full Story]

Blue Moon Majesty Wows Stargazers

'Exact' Blue Moon Seen From Jadwin, MO — Victor C. Rogus

Last night's Blue Moon captivated stargazers around the world. Although yesterday's full moon didn't look visibly different from other full moons during the year, stargazers used the specially named moon as an excuse to check out the sky for a night. [Read the Full Story]

Spacewalk Photos: Cosmonauts Work Outside Space Station

The beauty of Earth serves as the backdrop in this helmet camera view from a spacewalk by cosmonauts Alexander Misurkin and Fyodor Yurchikhin (who is visible in frame) as they worked outside the International Space Station on Aug. 22, 2013. [See more images]

Reusable Rocket Launch Systems: How They Work (Infographic)

Find out about DC-X, a prototype reusable space launch system, in this SPACE.com infographic. [Read the Full Story]

Cat's Eye

Eminescu Crater on Mercury — NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington

On Mercury lies Eminescu crater, illuminated by a bright halo of material around its edge. A ray system emanating from nearby crater Xiao Zhao appears on the right side of the image. The shape and coloration of Eminescu crater suggest the familiar sight of the Cat’s Eye Nebula. MESSENGER spacecraft acquired this image on January 3, 2012. Image released August 15, 2013. [See More Images]

Astronaut Sees 'UFO' Near Space Station

ntenna Cover From the Zvezda Service Module Floating — NASA (via YouTube as NASAgovVideo)

When an unidentified flying object floats by the International Space Station, astronauts are going to notice. NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy captured a video of an 'unidentified object' near the space station on Aug. 19. [Read the Full Story]

New Nova Star Explosion Wows Stargazers

Nova Delphinus 2013 Photographed by Justin Ng — Justin Ng

The new star explosion Nova Delphinus 2013 captivated stargazers around the world. [Read the Full Story]

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