Best Space Photos of the Week - Oct. 19, 2013

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'Black Hole Indigestion' Captured by Giant Radio Telescope

ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO)/NASA/ESA/F. Combes

Spectacular Photo of Saturn's Rings Created by Amateur Astronomer

NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute/G. Ugarkovic

An amazing new view of Saturn, created by amateur image processer Gordan Ugarkovic, shows the planet and its rings in all their glory.[Read the Full Story]

Auroras Flow Over Sweden

Chad Blakly

Chad Blakley captured footage of the aurora borealis on Oct 17th, 2013. The lake is the sixth largest body of water in Sweden and is located in Abisko National Park. [Watch the Video]

Mystery of Galaxy Evolution Revealed by Distant Cosmic Lens

NASA/ESA/A. van der Wel

Astronomers have discovered the most distant gravitational lens yet -- a faraway galaxy that deflects and intensifies the light of an even more distant object. The discovery enables the scientists to directly the measure the mass of a distant galaxy. [Read the Full Story]

Potentially Dazzling Comet ISON Still Intact, Hubble Photo Suggests

NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)

Skywatchers take heart: The potentially brilliant Comet ISON appears to be holding together thus far on its perilous journey around the sun. [Read the Full Story]

SpaceX Hit Huge Reusable Rocket Milestone with Falcon 9 Test Flight

SpaceX

SpaceX managed to relight the first stage of its new and improved Falcon 9 rocket during the vehicle’s maiden launch last month, officials said. [Read the Full Story]

Red Cent: Mars Rover Curiosity Snaps High-Res Pic of Penny Payload

NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS/PSI

A penny on Mars has grown rich with red dust while riding on a NASA rover. The red cent was recently revealed as now being covered in Mars dust, despite being mounted vertically on NASA's Curiosity rover for the past 14 months. The penny's patina however, was not the primary focus of the photograph that captured its current condition. [Read the Full Story]

Space.com Staff
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.