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Night Sky Photos

The night sky is filled spectacular cosmic treasures, from the moon and other planets to distant stars and galaxies. See amazing pictures of the night sky as seen by veteran observers and amateur astronomers here. 

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Star trails in the Dark Sky Reserve, over Valentia Island, County Kerry, Ireland.

16 amazing dark sky preserves around the world that protect the night sky

By Elizabeth Howell

A Perseid meteor streaks across the sky above a group of campers at the Negev Desert near the city of Mitzpe Ramon, Israel, on Aug. 11, 2020.

Perseid meteor shower 2020 brings celestial fireworks to the night sky (photos)

By Hanneke Weitering

The Perseid meteor shower, one of the most famous annual "shooting star" displays, reached its peak activity this week, putting on a spectacular show for skywatchers in the Northern Hemisphere.

After dusk during July, comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) will be visible low in the northwestern sky as it travels northwest in the sky below the constellation of Ursa Major. Mobile apps can help you find it. This chart shows the comet's path through the sky until mid-August, at 11 p.m. local time. Each night the comet will diminish in brightness — so look for it as soon as possible.

How to spot the bright Comet NEOWISE using mobile apps

By Chris Vaughan

Skywatchers the world over are buzzing about Comet NEOWISE, the first easily-visible comet to appear in years. Your favorite mobile astronomy app can tell you when, where and how to look for it.

Comet NEOWISE is seen by NASA’s Parker Solar Probe, which captured the comet's twin tail on July 5, 2020. The lower, broader tail is the comet’s dust tail, while the thinner, upper tail is the comet’s ion tail.

Replay: See Comet NEOWISE online tonight in a Slooh webcast

By Tariq Malik

You can see Comet NEOWISE online tonight (July 18) in a lvie webcast from Slooh.

Astrophotographer Bill Dunford, a NASA social media specialist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, captured this view of Comet NEOWISE when it was visible in the predawn sky in early July 2020.

How to photograph Comet NEOWISE: NASA tips for stargazers

By Chelsea Gohd

Are you excited to spot Comet NEOWISE as it pops into view in the night sky? Do you want to try your hand at photographing the cosmic snowball?

How to see Comet NEOWISE in the evening sky now. It won't be back for 6,800 years.

By Tariq Malik

Comet NEOWISE is now visible in the evening sky for stargazers. It won't be back for 6,800 years.

This image of comet NEOWISE was captured by NASA’s Solar and Terrestrial Relations Observatory, or STEREO, on June 24, 2020, as the comet approached the sun.

Comet NEOWISE spotted by more NASA spacecraft (video, photos)

By Mike Wall

NASA's Parker Solar Probe isn't the only spacecraft doing some comet watching these days.

This shot shows Iceland's famous geyser, the Great Geysir, preparing to blow, with the aurora behind it.

'Geyser' aurora and 'cosmic bat' nebula shortlisted for astronomy photo prize

By Mindy Weisberger

An astrophotography competition run by London's Royal Observatory Greenwich, announces a shortlist of exceptional images for its 2020 contest.

'Clyde's Spot,' a new storm on Jupiter, is visible in this image in the center as a white maelstrom, just below and to right of the Great Red Spot. Citizen scientist Kevin Gill created this image using data gathered by the JunoCam instrument aboard NASA’s Juno Jupiter orbiter on June 2, 2020.

'Clyde's Spot,' a new storm on Jupiter, discovered by amateur astronomer (photos)

By Mike Wall

NASA's Jupiter-orbiting Juno probe has captured gorgeous imagery of a storm that recently cropped up on the giant planet.

Comet NEOWISE as seen from the International Space Station in a photograph shared by Russian cosmonaut Ivan Vagner on July 4, 2020.

Comet NEOWISE shines in stunning photos from the International Space Station

By Meghan Bartels

Astronauts caught a stunning natural light show this weekend from a comet that has been dazzling skywatchers on Earth as well.

Astrophotographer Chris Schur captured this view of Comet NEOWISE F3 from Payson, Arizona before dawn on July 5, 2020.

Comet NEOWISE could give skywatchers a dazzling show this month. Here's what to know.

By Joe Rao

Comet NEOWISE could become a tantalizing object for skywatchers in the July 2020 night sky.

This vertical panorama, composed of four images, shows a strong zodiacal light coming from the region where planet Venus was located, in the western sky of Pampilhosa da Serra, Dark Sky Aldeias do Xisto, Portugal.

Zodiacal Light meets the Milky Way in stunning night sky photo

By Miguel Claro

The rare zodiacal light zodiacal light beams up at the Milky Way in this photo captured from Portugal's new "starlight tourism" destination.

A single shot photo features a golden full moon rising above the landscape of Alandroal, in Portugal's Dark Sky Alqueva Reserve, on Nov. 12, 2019.

A golden moon rises above the fields of Portugal's Dark Sky Alqueva reserve (photo)

By Miguel Claro

This dreamy night-sky photo features a golden full moon rising above the landscape of Alandroal, Portugal, in Dark Sky Alqueva, the world's first "starlight tourism destination."

This combination of pictures created on June 21, 2020 shows the moon moving in front of the sun during an annular solar eclipse as seen from (top L to R) Kurukshetra, Allahabad, Bangalore and (bottom L to R) Kolkata, New Delhi, Bangalore on June 21, 2020. (

'Ring of fire' solar eclipse of 2020 dazzles skywatchers across Africa and Asia

By Chelsea Gohd

The sun and moon converged in a dazzling "ring of fire" solar eclipse Sunday (June 21), stunning skywatchers across parts of Africa, Asia and more.

A blue fireball streaks across the sky.

Mysterious blue fireball streaks above Western Australia, puzzling astronomers

By Stephanie Pappas

Scientists aren't sure if space junk or a meteor caused a brilliant blue fireball seen across Western Australia.

A brilliant fireball lights up the night sky over Knoxville, Tennessee, in this cell phone video captured from a moving vehicle by witness Austin R. at 9:42 p.m. EDT on June 7, 2020 (0142 GMT June 8).

Brilliant fireball lights up skies over Tennessee (video)

By Tariq Malik

A meteor lit up the night sky over Tennessee and neighboring states late Sunday (June 7), sparking 120 fireball sightings across 12 different nearby states and Canada.

Astrophotographer Gerald Rhemann captured this image of comet C/2020 F8 SWAN on May 12, 2020.

Comet SWAN: A brilliant 'icy wanderer' in photos

By Space.com Staff

See photos of the newly discovered Comet C/2020 F8 SWAN.

"The World at Night" by Babak Tafreshi is a photo book published in October 2019.

'A truly dark night sky can change someone's life forever': Q&A with 'The World at Night' photobook author Babak Tafreshi

By Doris Elin Urrutia

Two of Babak Tafreshi's major astrophotography programs were canceled or postponed this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, he told Space.com.

The Flower Moon, as seen in Bintan island, Riau islands province, Indonesia on May 7, 2020. In front of the moon you can see the silhouette of a dove.

See the Full Flower Moon, last supermoon of 2020, bloom in these stunning photos

By Chelsea Gohd

May's full moon, also known as the "Flower Moon," dazzled skywatchers on Thursday (May 7) as it lit up the springtime sky.

The moon looks clearer than ever in this epic composite image by photographer Andrew McCarthy.

New image captures 'impossible' view of the moon's surface

By Brandon Specktor

Photographer Andrew McCarthy photographed the demarcation between the moon's light and dark sides for two weeks to create this unbelievably crisp image of our satellite's Earth-side craters.