Best Space Photos of the Week - Dec. 13, 2014

The Stars Fill the Sky

Monday, Dec. 8, 2014: Stars form in textbook fashion inside emission nebula NGC 2174, where molecular cloudscondense into star formation regions. New stars next slowly blow unused material back into the interstellar medium. After the lengthy process has almost concluded, the stars have broken out into the open.

M45, The Pleiades ('The Seven Sisters')

The night sky can be an amazing place to look for cosmic wonders. Here: Astrophotographer Jeff Johnson sent in a photo of the Pleiades (AKA "The Seven Sisters" or M45), an open star cluster in Taurus. Johnson is based in the southwestern United States.

IC 1396, the Elephant's Trunk Nebula

Astrophotographer Kyle Beckstrom submitted a photo of IC 1396, the Elephant's Trunk Nebula, on Nov. 28, 2014. He did not give a location.

Plane and Solar Eclipse

Astrophotographer Paul Buckley sent in a photo of a plane crossing the sun taken on Oct. 23, 2014, from the shores of Lake Erie in Buffalo, New York.

Asteroid 4451 Grieve and Horsehead Nebula

Astrophotographer Jose Miranda captured an asteroid (marked with arrow) gliding by the Horsehead Nebula. Image submitted Nov. 27. 2014.

Jupiter by Jonathan Rupert

Astrophotographer Jonathan Rupert sent in a photo of Jupiter, taken south of Charlotte, North Carolina. He used a Orion XT6 Classic Dobsonian telescope. Image submitted Nov. 29, 2014.

Taurus Meteor Fireball

The sky is a wonderland of amazing sights. HERE: Astrophotographer Larry Norris of Graford, Texas, sent in a night sky photo he took for a class entitled "Full Moon Landscapes." He reports that at least 3 meteors are visible in the shot. Image submitted Nov. 8, 2014.

Train Tracks Uncovered Under Night Sky

On the beach at Cape May, NJ, astrophotographer Chris Bakley caught the unexpected sight of train tracks that had been uncovered by a storm, beneath the night sky. Image submitted Nov. 10, 2014.