Top Space Shots Of The Week: Blood Moon, Stunning Nebulae, And Venus Like You’ve Never Seen Before! [10-17 Mar]

Welcome to this week’s Top Space Shots of the Week, where we bring you a stunning collection of astrophotography. While the recent lunar eclipse captured the attention of many, there were plenty of other awe-inspiring shots that deserve just as much recognition. From stunning nebulae to distant planets, these images offer a glimpse into space like never before!

Blood Moon Path Over U. S.

Toby Large’s stunning composite image, Path of the Blood Moon, captures the mesmerizing journey of a total lunar eclipse over Illinois, U.S., on 14th March. This fantastic sequence of 152 photos, spanning six hours and 17 minutes, showcases the Moon’s gradual transition through Earth’s shadow.

Blood Moon Over Mexico

Pablo Roberto Gonzalez perfectly imaged the lunar eclipse from Unión De San Antonio, Mexico. Using a homemade 150mm Newtonian telescope and a Samsung Galaxy phone, he revealed stunning details of the Moon in red hues during the event.

‘Blue Ghost’ Turns Red: Lunar Eclipse From Space

This captivating shot of the lunar eclipse was taken by Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost lunar lander. In it, you can also spot two of the brightest planets in our solar system. Mercury shines to the left of the Moon, while Venus glows to the right.

Dark Shark Nebula

This stunning image shows the Dunkler Hai Nebula, or Dark Shark Nebula (LDN 1235) in the constellation Cepheus. This dark nebula is known for its dense clouds of dust and gas. In this astrophoto, it stands out against the backdrop of brighter stars.

Vela Supernova Remnant

Peter Dunsby (@AstroCapetown) captured part of the Vela Supernova Remnant, a vast and captivating nebula resulting from a star’s explosive death. This amazing image, made using the HOO (Hydrogen-alpha, Oxygen-III) filter technique, intricately reveals the colourful details of the remnant.

Pacman Nebula

Mazzif Astro (@MazzifLOL) shared a progress update on his astrophotography of NGC 281W, the well-known “Pacman Nebula.” After 32 hours of exposure, this image captures the nebula in stunning detail.

Venus And The Triply Ultraviolet Sun

NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) captured a rare event where Venus transited the Sun, a phenomenon typically reserved for Earth’s Moon. In 2012, Venus aligned perfectly with the Sun, casting a dark spot across its surface as the planet’s crescent phase gradually diminished to zero. This resulted in a Venusian annular eclipse. The Sun is shown here in three different ultraviolet wavelengths, highlighting various features, including a coronal hole on the right.

Thank you to all the photographers who shared their amazing images for this week’s top astrophotos collection! We greatly appreciate your dedication and passion for astrophotography and wish you clear skies for your future captures!