Best Space Photos of the Week – August 15, 2015

Milky Way Shines Over House in Awesome 'Astro-Paparazzi' Photo

David Martin/Night Watchman Photography

The Milky Way arcs above a spotlight-illuminated house in a beautiful view captured by a veteran night sky photographer and self-styled "astro-paparazzi." [Read the full story.]

Mountaineer Spies the Milky Way from the Himalayas

Kuntal A. Joisher

This stunning image of the Milky Way was taken over Mt. Manaslu in the Himalayas by an amateur astrophotographer with a passion for climbing. Computer scientist and part-time mountaineer Kuntal A. Joisher, of Mumbai, India, took this image in fall of 2014 during a trek on the mountain. [Read the full story.]

Cosmonauts Wave During EVA

Roscosmos (via Facebook)

Russian cosmonauts Gennady Padalka and Mikhail Kornienko wave at the camera during a spacewalk on Aug. 10, 2015, outside the International Space Station. [Read the full story.]

William Shatner, 'Star Trek' Fans Honor Leonard Nimoy with Epic Selfie Mosaic

Gage Skidmore/Wikimedia Commons

More than 6,000 "Star Trek" fans are now part of a giant online tribute to Leonard Nimoy, who played the Vulcan Spock on the famed series. Nimoy died earlier this year at age 83, prompting reminiscences from people worldwide — including his co-star and long-time friend William Shatner (Captain James T. Kirk.) [Read the full story.]

Bright Jet Erupts from Rosetta Spacecraft's Active Comet (Photo)

ESA/Rosetta/MPS

The European Space Agency's Rosetta orbiter has been keeping a close eye on the Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko – snapping amazing photos as the celestial wanderer hurls dust and gas into space as it approaches its closest point to the sun this week. [Read the full story.]

Barred Spiral Galaxy NGC 428

ESA/Hubble and NASA and S. Smartt (Queen's University Belfast); Acknowledgements: Nick Rose and Flickr user penninecloud

Barred spiral galaxy NGC 428 lies approximately 48 million light-years away from Earth in the constellation of Cetus (The Sea Monster). A residual spiral shape remains, but the galaxy's structure appears distorted and warped, possibly resulting from a collision between two galaxies. William Herschel discovered NGC 428 in December 1786. Image released Aug. 10, 2015. [Read the full story.]

Blue Glow Lights Up Milky Way Image

Photographer Jeffrey Berkes

A magnificent blue glow lights up this skywatching image of the Milky Way and crashing waves. Photographer Jeffrey Berkes took this image from Cannon Beach in Oregon around the Haystack Rock Bird Sanctuary in July. [Read the full story.]

Perseid Meteor, Airplane and Satellite Over Wisconsin

Matthew Moses/Moses Images

Astrophotographer Matthew Moses sent in a photo of a Perseid meteor, a satellite, and an airplane streaking through the night sky over the Davidson windmill east of Superior, Wisconsin, taken on Aug. 12, 2015. The windmill dates from 1900 and appears in the National Register of Historic Places. [Read the full story.]

2015 Perseid Meteors Over New Hampshire

Garrett Evans

Astrophotographer Garrett Evans sent in a composite image of 21 shots showing Perseid meteors flying over Muster Field Farm in Sutton, New Hampshire, on the evening of Aug. 12-13, 2015. [Read the full story.]

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