Best Space Photos of the Week – Dec.. 12, 2015

See the Milky Way Shine Over a Yellowstone Waterfall in This Awesome Photo

A. Garrett Evans

The Milky Way shines in the Yellowstone Grand Canyon in this stunning image. [Read the full story.]

Skywatcher Snaps Mesmerizing View of Spider Nebula (Photo)

Ron Brecher

The stunning view of the Spider nebula offers a cosmic web of celestial delights, and was captured by astrophotographer Ron Brecher in Guelph, Ontario. [Read the full story.]

Asteroid-Bound Spacecraft Snaps Stunning Earth Photos

JAXA

One year to the day after lifting off, the Japanese spacecraft Hayabusa2 paid its home planet a quick visit for a speed-boost. During its closest approach on Dec. 3, the asteroid-seeking spacecraft took several stunning pictures of Earth. [Read the full story.]

Wow! Spectacular Video Shows Test Launch of New Earth-Return Capsule

UP Aerospace

A small rocket carried four technology experiments to suborbital space last month, and onboard cameras captured the flight in breathtaking detail. [Read the full story.]

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Space.com Staff
News and editorial team

Space.com is the premier source of space exploration, innovation and astronomy news, chronicling (and celebrating) humanity's ongoing expansion across the final frontier. Originally founded in 1999, Space.com is, and always has been, the passion of writers and editors who are space fans and also trained journalists. Our current news team consists of Editor-in-Chief Tariq Malik; Editor Hanneke Weitering, Senior Space Writer Mike Wall; Senior Writer Meghan Bartels; Senior Writer Chelsea Gohd, Senior Writer Tereza Pultarova and Staff Writer Alexander Cox, focusing on e-commerce. Senior Producer Steve Spaleta oversees our space videos, with Diana Whitcroft as our Social Media Editor.