Best Night Sky Photos of the Week: June 28, 2014

Look Up! Mysterious Night-Shining Clouds Are Back

Night-Shining Noctilucent Clouds From Space — NASA

Look west 30 to 60 minutes after sunset when the Sun has dipped 6o to 16o below the horizon. If you see luminous blue-white tendrils spreading across the sky, you've probably spotted a noctilucent cloud. Although noctilucent clouds appear most often at arctic latitudes, they have been sighted in recent years as far south as Colorado, Utah and Virginia. NLCs are seasonal, appearing most often in late spring and summer. In the northern hemisphere, the best time to look would be now through the end of August.

Skywatcher Lifts Up Clouds of the Milky Way in Amazing Photo

Skywatcher Holds Up the Night Sky Over the Azores — Miguel Claro

A skywatcher embraces the celestial sphere like Atlas, the Titan of Greek mythology, holding and protecting it from the low cloudy yellow band.

Venus and Crescent Moon Meet in Morning Sky Tuesday

The moon and venus in conjunction. — Starry Night software

Our natural satellite and the brightest of all the planets get together early on the morning of June 24.

How to Spot a Scorpion in the Night Sky

Scorpius Sky Map, June 2014 — Starry Night software

Double stars and star clusters are among the treats hiding in the summer Scorpion.

Milky Way Shines Above Field in Dazzling Skywatcher Photo

Milky Way and Bales of Hay — A. Garrett Evans

An image stretches to include the whole visible portion of the Milky Way in the night sky above a field strewn with hay bales.

Milky Way Looms Large Over Washington in Amazing Photo

MIlky Way Over Washington — Matt Zietzke

The glowing Milky Way shines over Rattlesnake Lake in Washington in this stunning image. Astrophotographer Matt Zietzke took the photo from Rattlesnake Lake near North Bend, Washington on May 19, 2014.

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