Best Astrophotos Of The Week: See Winter Nebulae, Saturn Eclipse, And Star Fields On ISS [2-9 Dec]

Winter has arrived, and we’re kicking off a new series showcasing the best astrophotos of the week from this season! At the beginning of December, the night sky offers some incredible sights. In the northern hemisphere, the winter constellations are becoming more prominent. With its distinctive three-star belt, Orion rises in the east, accompanied by the bright stars Betelgeuse and Rigel.

Among the highlights, you can catch the beauty of the Rosette Nebula, resembling a cosmic flower, and the Hand of God Nebula, which features a unique filamentary structure reminiscent of a hand reaching out into space. Don’t miss the ethereal glow of the Bubble Nebula, its spherical shape created by the winds of a massive star at its centre.

Other beautiful sights took centre stage this week, from stunning views of Saturn’s eclipse to the star fields captured from the International Space Station.

So welcome to our first winter collection of the Best astrophotos of the week!

Orion And Jupiter Under Australian Sky

Captured in Sedan, South Australia, this amazing astrophoto showcases the majesty of Orion and Jupiter rising against the vast, starry sky. The photographer beautifully contrasts the ruin’s weathered structure with the brilliance of the space.

“Revisiting a favourite spot near Sedan in South Australia, I cannot resist the feeling of history and passing time this ruin gives, especially under a rising Orion and Jupiter,” Eric Wilkes wrote on Facebook. “Oddly for December it was cold and very windy so not a comfortable night, but with a location and sky like this who cares. The ruin was nicely lit by moonlight with the help of singly LED light to the right to soften the shadows. Had to wait for an hour or so for the moon to set to capture the sky, but worth it.”

Rosette Nebula

Among the best astrophotos of the week is Kevin Earp’s image of the Rosette Nebula, which awes us with its intricate beauty. This cosmic “flower” is a star-forming region in the Monoceros constellation. Its delicate, glowing gas and dust make it a favourite among astrophotographers.

Hand Of God Nebula

“Dive into the enigmatic beauty of CG4, also poetically known as the Hand of God Nebula,” Alessandro Motta wrote on his Facebook page. “This celestial object combines mystery and wonder, with its claw-like shape grasping towards the galaxy NGC 1888. CG4’s apparent size measures approximately 1.4 x 2 arcminutes for the main structure, while the tail extends up to about 8 arcminutes. For comparison, the full Moon spans about 30 arcminutes in the sky.”

According to the photographer’s post, CG4 is part of a class of nebulae called cometary globules, featuring dense heads and elongated tails. “These globules are regions of interstellar dust and gas where star formation can occur. The “claw” is illuminated by nearby bright stars, causing the eerie glow seen in this image,” he added.

Saturn Eclipse

Ueda Toshio beautifully documented a rare moment when the shadow of a moon passed across Saturn’s iconic rings.

“Saturn eclipse could be seen around Japan in the evening of Dec. 8th. I took some pictures using ASI662MC with 103mm refractor telescope SD103SⅡ,” the photographer stated.

Actually, a Saturn eclipse occurs when one of Saturn’s moons, or another celestial body, passes directly between Saturn and the Earth. This casts a shadow over the planet. Unlike solar or lunar eclipses, a Saturn eclipse is a rare astronomical event in which Saturn’s features are momentarily hidden from view due to the alignment of objects in space.

Owl Cluster In Cassiopea

Captured by Emilio Monelli, this stunning image of the NGC 457 Owl Cluster in the constellation Cassiopeia reveals the beauty of this open star cluster. The Owl Cluster is a striking example of the natural patterns found in the night sky, with its pair of bright stars resembling the eyes of an owl.

Bubble Nebula

Jordi Gallego’s stunning image of the Bubble Nebula captures the delicate beauty of this stellar nursery in stunning Narrowband HSO with RGB stars. This image presents a vibrant and dynamic view of the nebula, processed using a new method described by Adam Block.

The Bubble Nebula, or NGC 7635, is a spherical emission nebula in the constellation Cassiopeia. Its distinct bubble-like structure is caused by the star’s powerful radiation pushing away surrounding gas and dust, creating a beautiful cosmic “bubble.”

Star Fields On ISS

A special bonus of this collection is this mesmerizing image showcasing the beauty of star fields from space. It was captured by NASA astronaut Don Pettit aboard the International Space Station.

“In space, you can see stars! I flew a home-made tracking device that allows time exposures required to photograph star fields,” the astronaut commented on X.

Thank you to all the photographers who shared their amazing images for our best astrophotos of last week’s list! We greatly appreciate your dedication and passion for astrophotography and wish you clear skies for your future captures!

If you want to share your amazing December captures of the night sky, please send them via our social media: Facebook or X page. You can also use our contact form on the website. We will gladly include them in our next collections of the best astrophotos of the week!