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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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An airplane crosses in front of the Full Wolf Moon during the penumbral lunar eclipse on Jan. 10, 2020, in this photo taken by Stojan Stojanovski near Lake Ohrid in Macedonia.

Amazing photos: The Wolf Moon lunar eclipse of January 2020 in pictures

By Space.com Staff

See photos of the Full Wolf Moon and penumbral lunar eclipse of Jan. 10-11, 2020.

A view from the Very Large Telescope array in Chile shows four auxiliary telescopes under the Large and Small Magellanic clouds and the Milky Way.

The 100 Best Space Photos of 2019

By Hanneke Weitering, Christine Lunsford

The year 2019 was an amazing one for space photography. From rocket launches to the northern lights, here's 100 cosmic views dazzled us as the year made its annual trip around the sun.

So-called "aurora chasers" in Alberta, Canada, photographed an unusual light in the night sky — dubbed "Steve" — and brought it to the attention of astronomers at the University of Calgary and at NASA.

Inside Story Behind Mesmerizing Sky Glow Named 'Steve' Revealed in New Documentary

By Mindy Weisberger

The story behind an oddball sky glow endearingly named "Steve" is revealed in a new documentary. Here's why the light show captivated aurora chasers.

The body of the Canon EOS Ra camera.

New Canon EOS Ra Camera Aims to Take Astrophotography to New Heights

By Elizabeth Howell

Canon is releasing a mirrorless camera for astrophotography called the EOS Ra.

Saturn, Venus and Jupiter align above the skyline of Tel Aviv, Israel, as seen during the morning twilight.

Planets Align Over the 'White City' in Twilight Photo of Tel Aviv

By Miguel Claro

Planets align over the skyline of Tel Aviv in this panoramic view of the city by twilight.

This mosaic of the southern sky combines 208 images taken by NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite during its first year of science operations. Visible in this image are the Milky Way, the Orion Nebula (near the top) and the Large Magellanic Cloud (at the center).

NASA's Planet-Hunting TESS Spacecraft Snaps Spectacular Panorama of the Milky Way

By Elizabeth Howell

NASA's planet-hunting spacecraft created a spectacular panorama of the southern sky that shows off our home galaxy, the Milky Way.

The "super worm moon" of March 21, 2019, rises over Portugal's historic Evoramonte tower.

Orange Supermoon Lights Up a Portuguese Castle in Night-Sky Photo

By Miguel Claro

A "supermoon" rises above Portugal's historic Castle of Evoramonte in this dreamy night-sky photo.

A panoramic moonscape scene captured from Portugal's Dark Sky Alqueva Reserve.

Panoramic 'Moonscape' Reveals Craters of the Lunar South Pole (Photo)

By Miguel Claro

This panoramic moonscape scene looks like it could be the view from a spaceship flying over the moon. However, this was captured right here on Earth.

An astrophotography student stands before the Milky Way galaxy and the bright planet Jupiter during an astrophotography workshop in Campinho, Portugal, on May 5, 2019.

Astronomy Student Silhouetted by Milky Way, Jupiter in Stunning Photo

By Miguel Claro

The image features the silhouette of one of my students during a workshop on astrophotography. He is standing against the background core of our galaxy at the Dark Sky Alqueva Reserve, in Portugal.

Dramatic Drone Video Captures Magic of Total Solar Eclipse

By Miguel Claro

See aerial views of the total solar eclipse of July 2, 2019, above the Andes Mountains in Chile.

The moon completely blocks the sun, revealing its faint corona, during the total solar eclipse of 2019, in Chile.

Earthshine's Faint Illumination of the Moon Captured in Glorious Eclipse Photo

By Miguel Claro

A stunning photo captured during the total solar eclipse of 2019 in Chile reveals the sun's mesmerising inner and outer corona, as well as the lunar earthshine.

This night-sky photo by astrophotographer Miguel Claro reveals a lovely summer scene where the arc of the Milky Way galaxy is shining bright above Pampilhosa da Serra, in Dark Sky Aldeias de Xisto, Portugal.

The Milky Way Sparkles Over Portugal's Newest 'Starlight Tourism Destination' (Photo)

By Miguel Claro

A brand-new "astrotourism" destination has just been born in the heart of Portugal, at Aldeias do Xisto, or the Schist Villages.

A close-up of the Rho Ophiuchi cloud complex, captured by astrophotographer Miguel Claro from the Cumeada Observatory, the headquarters of the Dark Sky Alqueva Reserve in Reguengos de Monsaraz, Portugal.

Rho Ophiuchi's Colorful Cosmic Clouds Glisten in Starry Deep-Space Photo

By Miguel Claro

One of the most colorful wonders of the summer sky in the Northern Hemisphere, especially for deep-sky photographers, is the Rho Ophiuchi cloud complex.

The International Space Station crosses the sky above the Old City of Jerusalem.

International Space Station Streaks Across Jerusalem's Night Sky (Photo)

By Miguel Claro

A photo shows the International Space Station crossing the sky above the Old City of Jerusalem.

This composite image shows STEVE alongside the Milky Way over Childs Lake, Manitoba, Canada.

It's Official: The Strange, Aurora-Like STEVE Is a Completely Unique Celestial Phenomenon

By Chelsea Gohd

STEVE is a completely unique celestial phenomenon caused by some sort of warm, atmospheric emission, a new study finds.

Astrophotographer Miguel Claro captured this spectacular vertical panorama or the aurora borealis from the Arctic Circle. Can you see the shape of a bird flying with a running rabbit?

Bright Green Aurora Bird Takes Flight with a Running Rabbit Over Iceland (Photo)

By Miguel Claro

Auroras offer a wonderful variety of colors and phantasmagoric shapes. A vertical panorama seems to reveal one of these epic moments, with the incredible shape of a bird flying with a running rabbit.

Flying through the cosmos some 3,400 light-years away from Earth is a bird-shaped cloud of dust and gas known as the Seagull Nebula, or Sharpless 2-296. The European Southern Observatory's VLT Survey Telescope at the Paranal Observatory in Chile captured this new view of the cosmic seagull, which is rich with new star formation.

Space Seagull! Telescope Captures a Celestial Gull in Flight (Video)

By Elizabeth Howell

Are those cosmic wings? A new image of the Seagull Nebula shows a shape that looks just like a glittering gull in flight across the night sky.

In this new image from the Hubble Space Telescope, what looks like a top-down view of a jellyfish glowing in deep space is actually the planetary nebula NGC 2022. The cosmic orb of ionized gas was expelled from a dying red giant star located at its center. As the star sheds material into space, its core shrinks and grows hotter while emitting ultraviolet radiation that illuminates its gassy shell.

Hubble Spots Purple 'Jellyfish' Star Glowing in Abyss of Deep Space

By Elizabeth Howell

The latest Hubble image appears to capture a cosmic jellyfish floating in space, but in reality this structure is no living creature.

A bright-pink Perseid meteor shines above an old shipwreck on the coast of New Jersey in this photo by Jeff Berkes. He captured this photo early Sunday morning (Aug. 11), or about two days before the peak of the meteor shower.

Perseid Meteor Shower 2019 Dazzles Skywatchers Despite a Bright Moon

By Hanneke Weitering

Viewing prospects for this year's Perseid meteor shower were not ideal, but that didn't stop the annual "shooting star" display from putting on a great show!

Amazing Photos of the Perseid Meteor Shower 2019

By Hanneke Weitering

The annual Perseid meteor shower, one of the most highly anticipated meteor showers of the year, peaked overnight on Aug. 12-13. See photos of the spectacular "shooting star" display here!