Best Astronomy Photos Of The Week: Christmas Tree Cluster, Tadpole Nebula, Jupiter’s Moons, And More [17-24 Dec]

As we move deeper into the festive season, the 17-24 December week brings a stunning array of the best astronomy photos. Among the highlights was the vibrant Christmas Tree Cluster, captured by NASA, a festive constellation that truly embodies the season’s spirit. Also in the spotlight were breathtaking views of Jupiter and its three moons, offering a magnificent sight through the telescope.

This week’s collection of astronomical wonders also includes the mesmerizing Tadpole Nebula, the tender beauty of the Winter Rose NGC 2244, and the iconic Orion Nebula, with the Running Man Nebula shining in the background. Scroll down to enjoy these awe-inspiring images captured by passionate astrophotographers worldwide!

Christmas Tree Cluster By NASA

NASA’s new Christmas Tree Cluster (NGC 2264) image, released this past week, shows a cosmic tree of young stars located 2,500 light-years away. The photo uses X-ray, optical, and infrared data to highlight the glowing stars and surrounding gas. The stars shine in blue and white, while the green gas forms the “pine needles” of the tree, creating a festive and striking appearance.

Tadpole Nebula

This stunning image of the Tadpole Nebula (IC 410), captured by Gianni Lacroce in collaboration with Alessio Scudieri, showcases the nebula’s unique filamentous structures resembling tadpoles.

Jupiter With Three Moons

Silvio Klausnitzer’s stunning astrophotography captures Jupiter and its three moons — Callisto and Ganymede on the outer edges, with Io closer to the planet. This detailed image showcases the dynamic arrangement of these moons orbiting the giant planet.

“Winter Rose” NGC 2244

Jonathan Eggleston’s stunning image of the “Winter Rose” showcases the Rosette Nebula, located around 5,000 light-years away. Spanning 130 light-years in diameter, this iconic deep-sky object surrounds the young open star cluster NGC 2244. The intense radiation and stellar winds from these stars have carved a cavity in the nebula, causing the surrounding hydrogen gas to glow in vivid reds and pinks.

Winter Stars Over Ribblehead Viaduct

Pete Collins’ captivating image captures the winter stars over Ribblehead Viaduct, with the colour saturation of the brighter stars enhanced to highlight red Betelgeuse in Orion (left) and Aldebaran in Taurus (right). This beautiful astrophoto highlights the rich hues of these iconic stars against the winter sky, beautifully framing the viaduct below.

Orion Nebula & Running Man Nebula

Steven Crawford’s image beautifully captures the Orion Nebula (M42) and the Running Man Nebula (Sh2-279). Despite limited time and frames, the resulting photo reveals surprising detail and depth, showcasing the incredible beauty of these iconic nebulae.

Munich & Porto Memories/@SkidKidd’s image also features the Orion Nebula and Running Man Nebula, focusing on capturing the perfect balance despite the challenging dynamic range. This stunning shot highlights the nebula’s features without over-exposing the core, marking one of their best efforts yet.

Aurora In Netherlands

Gijs de Reijke’s image captures a stunning Aurora Borealis display over Hantum, the Netherlands.

“Almost two months since I went out to photograph anything at all, and well over two months since I last captured an Aurora Borealis show,” the photographer wrote in the post.

Thank you to all the photographers who shared their amazing images for our best astronomy shots 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!