Best Space Photos of the Week - July 6, 2013

Photos: Russia's Proton Rocket Launch Crash of July 2013

Tsenki TV

A Russian Proton rocket begins to lift off shortly before crashing after a failed launch from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on July 2, 2013 (local time). [ See More Images]

Contrails Over Wallops

NASA/Patrick Black

Contrails line the sky over Wallops Island, Va., on July 4, 2013 after two sounding rockets launched 15 seconds apart as part of the Daytime Dynamo experiment. A NASA Black Brant V was launched at 10:31:25 a.m. and was followed 15 seconds later by a Terrier-Improved Orion. [Read the Full Story]

Andromeda Galaxy Photos: Amazing Pictures of M31

Lorenzo Comolli

Lorenzo Comolli took this photo of the Andromeda Galaxy on Nov. 16, 2012 from the Apennine mountain village of Bogli, Italy. He used a TEC 140 telescope and Canon EOS 5D with Baader filter, Gemini G-41 mount to capture the image. The image was released to SPACE.com June 26, 2013. [ See More Images]

Photos: Stunning Night Sky Stargazing Images of July 2013

Giuseppe Petricca

Astrophotographer Giuseppe Petricca captured this dazzling photo of the quarter moon and fireworks over Pisa, Italy on June 16, 2013. Petricca snapped the photos during a fireworks display launched from the Arno River during Pisa's Patron Saint's Day celebrations. Photo posted on July 4. [See More Images]

Mars Rover Curiosity Captures Video of Martian Moonrise

NASA/JPL-Caltech

One of Mars' two tiny moons climbs high into the Red Planet sky in a dramatic new video recorded by NASA's Curiosity rover. [Full Story]

Hubble Telescope Snaps 'Comet of the Century' Fireworks (Video)

NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)

The Comet ISON shines like a cosmic skyrocket in a new video from the Hubble Space Telescope as the icy wanderer, which some astronomers have billed as a potential "comet of the century," streaks through our solar system at a staggering 48,000 mph. [Full Story]

Sun Unleashes Solar Fireworks Preview for July Fourth

NASA/SDO

The sun fired off an intense solar flare Wednesday (July 3), giving NASA scientists a solar preview to the Fourth of July holiday in the United States. [Full Story]

Photos: Tour Space Center Houston, A Museum in Pictures

NASA

Fireworks celebrate the June 2012 arrival of Houston's full-size space shuttle mockup, which Space Center Houston's contest will now name. [See More Images]

A Blue Sun? Solar Photographer Snaps Strange View of Our Star

Alan Friedman | Averted Imagination

Amateur astronomer Alan Friedman has taken an artistic approach to his backyard stargazing with stunning success as seen in this beautiful image of the sun. [Full Story]

Photos: Star Astronaut Chris Hadfield's Farewell Concert

Elizabeth Howell/SPACE.com

Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield performs on Ottawa's Parliament Hill on Canada Day, July 1, 2013. [ See More Images]

Skies Are Turning Red

Gregg Ruppel

Astrophotographer Gregg Ruppel of Ellisville, MO, sent in an image of emission nebula Sh2-115 made during the supermoon period of June 20-22, 2013. He writes: “The full moon is the bane of deep sky astrophotographers, so when the moon is full many of us turn to Ha [hydrogen-alpha] or other narrow band filters to record emission nebulae.... This HII area is just two degrees from the bright star Deneb and is designated Sh2-115 in the Sharpless catalog of emission nebulae. The small round nebulosity near the top right is cataloged as Sh2-116 but is actually a planetary nebula (also designated as Abell 71 and PK 85+4.1).” [See More Images]

Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: community@space.com.

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.