Top Space Photos Of The Week: Aurora, Ursa Minor, Almost Full Moon, And More [4-11 Feb]

Welcome to the second February roundup of top space photos of the week captured by astrophotographers worldwide! This past week, Ursa Minor shone brightly against the night’s darkness. The deep-sky observers turned their lenses toward cosmic wonders, including the Sharpless 278 Nebula, the Crab Nebula, and the delicate Angel Nebula. Finally, the almost full Moon provided perfect conditions for lunar photography.

Dive into this week’s most stunning astrophotos to explore the universe’s finest sights!

Sharpless 278 Nebula

The first photo, captured by Massimo Di Fusco, showcases Sharpless 278, a challenging emission nebula in the constellation Orion. This faint structure is part of the Orion Molecular Cloud Complex.

The image reveals the nebula’s intricate mix of ionized gas, reflection regions, and dark clouds shaped by the intense stellar winds from Orion OB1’s massive stars.

Despite the difficulty of imaging this low-altitude target under light-polluted skies, the final HaRGB composition beautifully highlights its delicate features.

Crab Nebula

The second photo, taken by Cmk Photo, captures the Crab Nebula (M1, NGC 1952). This is a pulsar wind nebula in the constellation Taurus.

Located 6,300 light-years from Earth, the nebula spans about 11 light-years and continues to expand at a rate of 1,500 kilometres per second. At its core lies pulsar PSR B0531+21, a rapidly spinning neutron star completing 30 rotations per second.

Northern Lights View

The third photo, taken by Jure Atanackov, captures a breathtaking display of the aurora borealis, revealing not only the familiar greens, reds, and purples but also the elusive tall blue rays stretching to the zenith.

Horsehead And Flaming Nebulae

The туче photo, shared by Urban Astrophotography, features the stunning Horsehead Nebula (Barnard 33) and Flaming Nebula (NGC 2024) in the constellation Orion.

This final edit brings out the intricate details and rich colours of these iconic deep-sky objects, showcasing the beauty of Orion’s star-forming region.

Ursa Minor And Polaris

This stunning astrophoto, taken by Miro Slav, highlights the constellation Ursa Minor, with the North Star, Polaris, prominently positioned at the top centre. Captured from Hamburg, the image was taken under bright moonlight, which limited the visibility of fainter celestial objects.

To work around this, the photographer focused on Polaris, a crucial navigation star. Despite challenging conditions, the result is a striking view of the northern sky, proving that astrophotography is always rewarding.

Angel Nebula

Captured by Kapsis Thodoris, this beautiful image showcases the stunning Angel Nebula (NGC 2170), a reflection nebula in the constellation Monoceros.

The nebula’s gas and dust scatter their light, creating a stunning red glow. The image beautifully captures the contrast between the nebula’s bright and dark regions, highlighting the complex structure formed by dense dust clouds that obscure light in certain areas.

Skull&Bones Nebula

SolarDMax captured the Skull & Bones Nebula, which is an eerie and mesmerizing cosmic formation that looks like it’s straight out of a science fiction story.

Located in the constellation of the Orion Nebula, it sparks curiosity with its dark, skeletal structure. A true marvel of the universe!

Almost Full Moon

“Like a fleeting glimmer that appears and disappears among the rustling branches…”

These beautiful words by Büşra remind us of the delicate moments in life that shine brightly but quickly fade, just like the stars in the night sky.

The last photo of our collection of top space photos of the week, shared by Kamil Różański Fotografia, captures the beauty of the blue hour just a day before a full moon.

As the photographer describes, the photo features a beautiful deep sky, with the atmosphere coming alive just before dawn. The tranquil scene showcases the moment when the last hints of night fade into the early morning, illuminated by the subtle glow of the moon.

Thank you to all the photographers who shared their amazing images for our collection of top space photos of the week! We greatly appreciate your dedication and passion for astrophotography and wish you clear skies for your future captures!

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