Falcon 9 Launch
Supermoons, meteors and colorful auroras treated skywatchers and astronomers around the world this year. Check out some of the most amazing photos taken by Space.com readers in 2016 in this year-end gallery. HERE: Astrophotographer Mike Killian took this image of SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket blasting off on May 6 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.
Click through to see the rest of 2016's best night sky photos.
Jupiter and the Moon
Greg Diesel Walck took the image from Moyock, North Carolina as a thunderstorm drifted across the horizon on Aug. 5. Read the full story here.
Spectacular Colors in Chilean Night Sky
The night sky over the European Southern Observatory's Paranal Observatory in the Chile's Atacama Desert glows colorfully with the stars of the Milky Way, Mars' orange sparkle, many constellations' bright twinkle and even the magenta-burn of the Carina Nebula. This image was taken by astronomer and photographer Yuri Beletskty, part of the 2016 ESO Fulldome Expedition team, and released Sept. 19. Read the full story here.
Super-Moonbeam
Astrophotographer Jeff Warner took the image of the supermoon rising over Denver as captured from Green Mountain in Lakewood, CO on Nov. 14.
Rare Blue Aurora Shimmers Over Lake Superior
Astrophotographer Shawn Malone captured this image of rare blue northern lights over Lake Superior in Marquette, Michigan. Read the full story here.
Skydivers Become Shooting Stars
Skydivers become shooting stars in this photo of the Perseid meteor shower in August. The long-exposure shot shows wingsuit jumpers in bright LED suits zooming across the night sky. Read the full story here.
Triangulum Galaxy
This image of M33 was taken by astrophotographer Chris Schur taken from Payson, Arizona in October. Read the full story here.
Helix Nebula
Astrophotographer John Chumack took this image of the Helix Nebula in September 2016 from Dayton, Ohio.
Airplane Flies Before the Moon
Astrophotographer Brian Ottum was outside testing out his equipment to prepare for next summer's total solar eclipse when he spotted an airplane heading straight for the moon. With no time to switch his camera settings to turn off the two-second delay timer, Ottum said he "estimated the plane’s speed, held [his] breath and pressed the shutter."
Milky Way and Meteors
This image of the Milky Way was captured by astrophotographer Raghu Yadavalli in Banff National Park, Alberta in September.
Iris Nebula
Astrophotographer Ron Brecher took this image of the Iris Nebula from Guelph, Ontario on Sep. 10. Read the full story here.
Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: community@space.com.
