Space

The best NASA images from 2012

The best NASA images from 2012
August 31, 2012: A solar filament erupts out into space (Image: NASA/GSFC/SDO)
August 31, 2012: A solar filament erupts out into space (Image: NASA/GSFC/SDO)
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March 26, 2012: Hubble Space Telescope captures the spiral galaxy NGC 2683, seen almost edge-on (Image: ESA/Hubble & NASA)
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March 26, 2012: Hubble Space Telescope captures the spiral galaxy NGC 2683, seen almost edge-on (Image: ESA/Hubble & NASA)
August 31, 2012: A region to the northwest of Mercury's crater Magritte – the shadowing helps define the "Mickey Mouse" resemblance, created by the accumulation of craters (Image: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington)
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August 31, 2012: A region to the northwest of Mercury's crater Magritte – the shadowing helps define the "Mickey Mouse" resemblance, created by the accumulation of craters (Image: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington)
June 13, 2012: Polar Mesospheric Clouds in the Northern Hemisphere (Image: NASA ISS - Digital Camera)
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June 13, 2012: Polar Mesospheric Clouds in the Northern Hemisphere (Image: NASA ISS - Digital Camera)
May 2, 2012: This computer-simulated image shows gas from a tidally shredded star falling into a black hole (Image: NASA; S. Gezari, The Johns Hopkins University; and J. Guillochon, University of California, Santa Cruz)
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May 2, 2012: This computer-simulated image shows gas from a tidally shredded star falling into a black hole (Image: NASA; S. Gezari, The Johns Hopkins University; and J. Guillochon, University of California, Santa Cruz)
June 5-6, 2012: Ultra-high definition view the transit of Venus across the face of the sun (Image: NASA/SDO, AIA)
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June 5-6, 2012: Ultra-high definition view the transit of Venus across the face of the sun (Image: NASA/SDO, AIA)
August 28, 2012: Nighttime view of Tropical Storm Isaac and the cities near the Gulf Coast of the United States (Image: NASA Earth Observatory by Jesse Allen and Robert Simmon, using VIIRS Day Night Band data)
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August 28, 2012: Nighttime view of Tropical Storm Isaac and the cities near the Gulf Coast of the United States (Image: NASA Earth Observatory by Jesse Allen and Robert Simmon, using VIIRS Day Night Band data)
March 27, 2012: NASA launches five rockets in five minutes (Image: NASA/Wallops)
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March 27, 2012: NASA launches five rockets in five minutes (Image: NASA/Wallops)
December 22, 2012: 21 December was not the end of the world and NASA's SDO satellite captured this image of the SUN on 12-22-12 at 00:14 (Image: NASA/NOAA GOES Project)
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December 22, 2012: 21 December was not the end of the world and NASA's SDO satellite captured this image of the SUN on 12-22-12 at 00:14 (Image: NASA/NOAA GOES Project)
December 18, 2012: NASA's Hubble Space Telescope photographed a festive-looking nearby planetary nebula called NGC 5189 (image: NASA, ESA, and G. Bacon (STScI)
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December 18, 2012: NASA's Hubble Space Telescope photographed a festive-looking nearby planetary nebula called NGC 5189 (image: NASA, ESA, and G. Bacon (STScI)
December 14, 2012: The Sun blows a robust prominence out into space (Image: NASA/GSFC/STEREO)
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December 14, 2012: The Sun blows a robust prominence out into space (Image: NASA/GSFC/STEREO)
October 27, 2012: Antarctic mountains from the IceBridge DC-8 (Image: NASA / Christy Hansen)
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October 27, 2012: Antarctic mountains from the IceBridge DC-8 (Image: NASA / Christy Hansen)
October 28, 2012: NOAA's GOES-13 satellite captured this visible image of the massive Hurricane Sandy as the storm intensifies (Image: NASA GOES Project)
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October 28, 2012: NOAA's GOES-13 satellite captured this visible image of the massive Hurricane Sandy as the storm intensifies (Image: NASA GOES Project)
February 24, 2012: NASA’s Aqua satellite captured this true-color image of the snowfall regions in Italy (Image: NASA/GSFC/Jeff Schmaltz/MODIS Land Rapid Response Team)
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February 24, 2012: NASA’s Aqua satellite captured this true-color image of the snowfall regions in Italy (Image: NASA/GSFC/Jeff Schmaltz/MODIS Land Rapid Response Team)
May 31, 2012: This illustration shows a stage in the predicted merger between our Milky Way galaxy and the neighboring Andromeda galaxy (Image: NASA; ESA; Z. Levay and R. van der Marel, STScI; T. Hallas; and A. Mellinger)
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May 31, 2012: This illustration shows a stage in the predicted merger between our Milky Way galaxy and the neighboring Andromeda galaxy (Image: NASA; ESA; Z. Levay and R. van der Marel, STScI; T. Hallas; and A. Mellinger)
April 18 - October 23, 2012: This new image of Europe, Africa, and the Middle East at night is a composite assembled from data acquired by the Suomi NPP satellite (Image: Suomi NPP - VIIRS)
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April 18 - October 23, 2012: This new image of Europe, Africa, and the Middle East at night is a composite assembled from data acquired by the Suomi NPP satellite (Image: Suomi NPP - VIIRS)
January 11, 2012: Cloud streets and vortices off the Aleutian Islands (Image: NASA/GSFC/Jeff Schmaltz/MODIS Land Rapid Response Team)
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January 11, 2012: Cloud streets and vortices off the Aleutian Islands (Image: NASA/GSFC/Jeff Schmaltz/MODIS Land Rapid Response Team)
January 11, 2012: Hubble Space Telescope solved the mystery of the type of star, or so-called progenitor, that caused a supernova in a nearby galaxy (Image: : NASA, ESA, CXC, SAO, the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA), and J. Hughes (Rutgers University))
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January 11, 2012: Hubble Space Telescope solved the mystery of the type of star, or so-called progenitor, that caused a supernova in a nearby galaxy (Image: : NASA, ESA, CXC, SAO, the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA), and J. Hughes (Rutgers University))
February 24, 2012: NASA's Hubble Telescope captured an image of Eta Carinae. The field of view is approximately 30 arcseconds across (Image: ESA/NASA)
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February 24, 2012: NASA's Hubble Telescope captured an image of Eta Carinae. The field of view is approximately 30 arcseconds across (Image: ESA/NASA)
August 31, 2012: A solar filament erupts out into space (Image: NASA/GSFC/SDO)
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August 31, 2012: A solar filament erupts out into space (Image: NASA/GSFC/SDO)
High-resolution self-portrait by Curiosity Rover arm camera, used by NASA engineers to document the rover’s condition (Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Malin Space Science Systems)
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High-resolution self-portrait by Curiosity Rover arm camera, used by NASA engineers to document the rover’s condition (Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Malin Space Science Systems)
View gallery - 20 images

2012 saw a number of significant milestones in star gazing and space exploration. NASA's Mars rover Curiosity touched down on the Red Planet in spectacular fashion, super-Earth's were discovered, the Moon pounded and Voyager 1 edged ever closer towards interstellar space and we saw more of the universe around us than ever before.

As the calendar rolls over, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center has put together an album of its top images for 2012. We’ve also picked our NASA favorites, highlighting some of the fascinating discoveries and incredible imagery captured in the skies above during the last twelve months.

March 26, 2012: Hubble Space Telescope captures the spiral galaxy NGC 2683, seen almost edge-on (Image: ESA/Hubble & NASA)
March 26, 2012: Hubble Space Telescope captures the spiral galaxy NGC 2683, seen almost edge-on (Image: ESA/Hubble & NASA)

August 31, 2012: A region to the northwest of Mercury's crater Magritte – the shadowing helps define the "Mickey Mouse" resemblance, created by the accumulation of craters (Image: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington)
August 31, 2012: A region to the northwest of Mercury's crater Magritte – the shadowing helps define the "Mickey Mouse" resemblance, created by the accumulation of craters (Image: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington)

High-resolution self-portrait by Curiosity Rover arm camera, used by NASA engineers to document the rover’s condition (Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Malin Space Science Systems)
High-resolution self-portrait by Curiosity Rover arm camera, used by NASA engineers to document the rover’s condition (Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Malin Space Science Systems)

April 18 - October 23, 2012: This new image of Europe, Africa, and the Middle East at night is a composite assembled from data acquired by the Suomi NPP satellite (Image: Suomi NPP - VIIRS)
April 18 - October 23, 2012: This new image of Europe, Africa, and the Middle East at night is a composite assembled from data acquired by the Suomi NPP satellite (Image: Suomi NPP - VIIRS)

Head to our gallery to see the full selection.

Source: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

View gallery - 20 images
4 comments
4 comments
Richard Unger
Is it possible to get a copy of the original images, I'd love a print off some of them
billybob1851
thanks! enjoyed it!
Jerome Newton
"... found your star shots helpful as I prepare for my earthly exit .. back into the higher frequencies of universal existence ..."
John Done
I hope Perseverance will bring us a more colorful image of the space bodies.