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Bad Astronomy
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The Top 14 Astronomy Pictures of 2010

Use the thumbnails and arrows to browse the images, and click on the images themselves to go through to blog posts with more details and descriptions.

Every year, thousands of incredible images of the sky are taken from observatories on the ground and in space, from spacecraft, and from amateur astronomers. And it seems that the people who make these images are getting better with time, creating nothing short of art. <br /><br />And every year picking my favorites for the Top Ten list gets ridiculously harder. I fret about this each time (just as I did for the Top Tens of <a href="http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2009/12/15/top-ten-astronomy-pictures-of-2009/" target="_blank">2009</a>, <a href="http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/12/17/top-ten-astronomy-pictures-of-2008/" target="_blank">2008</a>, <a href="http://www.badastronomy.com/bablog/2007/12/13/top-ten-astronomy-pictures-of-2007/" target="_blank">2007</a>, <a href="http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/12/23/top-10-astronomy-pictures-of-2007-runners-up/" target="_blank">the 2007 Runners up</a>, and <a href="http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/12/27/the-top-ten-astronomy-images-of-2006/" target="_blank">2006</a>). But I've never seen <em>anything</em> like 2010; I went through over 1000 pictures, and even when I was merciless it was hard to get it down to 30. The agony of picking 10 was too much.<br /><br />So to heck with it. I chose 14. Why? Well, for one thing, <em>it's my list</em>. But I also want to find images that are not only beautiful, but also tell a scientific story... as well as one that finds that spot in your brain that simply <em>pops</em> with wonder and awe.<br /><br />This year, I found so many with that quality to them! So why limit myself? Some of the ones I chose may at first seem simple, or inelegant, but I picked them because they're more than just a pretty shot. They're telling us something wonderful and fundamental about the Universe. Astronomy is one of the handful of sciences which can appeal to both our eyes and our brains... as you'll see here. <span style="text-decoration: line-through;">10</span> <strong>14</strong> times over.<br /><br />Use the slider bar at the top to browse the images and get a brief description underneath, and click the big images themselves to go to a more thorough article. But whatever you do, make sure you click through to the higher-resolution versions of these images, because it's only there you'll get the full, incredible view they deserve.<br />Globular clusters are hundreds of thousands of stars packed into a tightly jammed ball, each orbiting the cluster center like a bee circling a hive. <br /><br /><a href="http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2010/09/27/a-distant-sparkling-eruption-of-diamonds/" target="_blank">NGC 6934</a> is one such globular, a single example of more than 150 that orbit our Milky Way Galaxy. It's 50,000 light years, such a great distance that its magnificence is greatly reduced, making it not much more than a fuzzy blob through most telescopes... unless you happen to have the Hubble Space Telescope at your command. Then this bustling city of stars becomes a dazzling jewel.<br /><br />This image is false color; what you see as blue is actually taken through a red filter, and what looks red is actually <em>infrared</em>. Astronomers sometimes do this with two-filter images, to help our eyes separate out the colors.<br /><br />In this case, it shows that most of the stars in the cluster are probably lower mass than the Sun, still fusing hydrogen into helium in their cores, but a few have aged to the point of becoming red giants, swelling up and cooling off. Such is the fate of our Sun in a few billion years... and studying distant globular clusters like NGC 6394 helps us understand how how our nearest star will someday die. I picked this image because it's a relatively unheard-of but beautiful cluster... and I love the way the stars look like jewels. <br /><br /><strong>Get the high-res version <a href="http://www.spacetelescope.org/images/potw1023a/" target="_blank">here</a>.</strong><br /><br /><em>Image credit: ESA, Hubble, NASA</em><br />The Cassini spacecraft has been orbiting Saturn since 2004, and has been featured frequently both on my blog and in these Top Ten lists. Its views of the ringed planet and moons has been nothing short of spectacular time and again.<br /><br />This shot reminds me why. The moons of Saturn orbit it almost all on the same plane, so Cassini sometimes sees them near each other in the sky. And if things play out just right, they even pass directly in front of each other.<br /><br />That's exactly <a href="http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2010/09/22/two-alien-worlds-superposed" target="_blank">what happened here</a>: icy Rhea, Saturn's second largest moon, is seen here superposed on the giant moon Titan. Despite catastrophic appearances, they were in no danger of collision: Titan was over a million kilometers from Rhea when Cassini snapped this shot. Note that Rhea is covered in craters big and small, while Titan's thick atmosphere blocks us from seeing its surface directly. Do you also see the ring of material apparently floating above Titan? That's a haze layer composed of hydrocarbons like methane, ethane, and even benzene. Titan's atmosphere is twice as thick as Earth's!<br /><br />Note also that Titan is three times larger than Rhea and is in fact comfortably bigger than the planet Mercury; it's truly one of the most aptly-named worlds in the solar system.<br /><br /><strong>Get the high-res version <a href="http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/photos/imagedetails/index.cfm?imageId=4136" target="_blank">here</a>.</strong><br /><br /><em>Image credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute </em>The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has been circling the Moon since June 2008, taking incredibly high-resolution images of our neareast astronomical neighbor. It's photographed craters, ancient lava beds, mountains, and cliffs, but <a href="http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2010/05/24/lunar-boulder-hits-a-hole-in-one" target="_blank">this image</a> really stands out to me: it shows a house-sized boulder which rolled down a hill and landed inside a crater like a golf ball at a Putt-Putt course!<br /><br />The left side of the picture is a hill which goes downhill to the right. The landscape flattens out in the middle, and you can see bits of rubble and debris from landslides at the point where they meet. A billion years ago or more, something must have dislodged that gigantic rock, setting it rolling down the hill. Not being round, it bounced along in the Moon's 1/6th gravity, leaving ruts dug into the powdery surface. It slowed when it hit the flatter surface, and almost came to a stop just past that 60-meter (200 foot) crater. But it must have teetered backwards (see how that last rut goes past the rock?) and then slid down into the crater itself, where it finally came to a stop.<br /><br />It's easy to think that the Moon is mostly dead and unchanging, but when you look more closely - really, <em>really</em> closely - you'll see evidence of a dynamic world, with subtle beauty and fascinating structures. And we've only explored a tiny fraction of it. What else is there to see in the remaining 36 million square kilometers? <br /><br /><strong>Get the higher-res version <a href="http://lroc.sese.asu.edu/news/index.php?/archives/227-Hole-in-One!.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</strong><br /><br /><em>Image credit: NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University </em><br />Whenever a new type of instrument is used to examine the skies, surprises are guaranteed. And when the Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) started scanning the heavens in 2010, it returned one amazing view after another. My favorite by far <a href="http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2010/11/17/warm-dusty-rings-glow-around-a-weird-binary-star/" target="_blank">is this one</a>, showing NGC 1514, a dying star shedding material.<br /><br />This image, in the far-infrared, is very different than optical shots of the nebula, which show it looking more like a disk. It's not certain just why this object has these two rings, but it's likely that dust ejected from the dying star is slamming into gas previously thrown off. That older gas is most likely in an hourglass shape, common in such objects. Perhaps the dust is hitting the inside of that hourglass figure, making the rings. Maybe it's a different reason entirely. We don't know! <br /><br />And that makes me happy. Mysteries are fun, and new telescopes are bound to add to them, while solving others. WISE was designed to do a survey, which means it looked at anything and everything in the sky. A lot of what it found will have to be followed up with bigger telescopes. But until we get another powerful far-infrared telescopes, some of these weird objects will just have to wait to reveal their secrets.<br /><br /><strong>Get the higher-res version <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/WISE/multimedia/gallery/pia13346.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</strong><br /><br /><em> Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA</em>This isn't a microscopic photograph of a bacterial culture! It's actually of rolling, hummocky dunes near the north pole of Mars. Taken with the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter's powerful HIRISE camera, the normally grey basaltic sand of the dunes is covered with pinkish dust literally made of rust - iron oxide.<br /><br />What makes <a href="http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2010/01/11/another-dose-of-martian-awesome/" target="_blank">this image</a> so bizarre, though, are the dark, parallel tendril-like features scattered throughout. What the heck are <em>those?</em> One clue is that they always seem to stretch downhill, as if something is flowing. Another can be found in the tendrils located left of center and down a bit: there's a fuzzy pink oval emanating from one of them. <a href="http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/files/2010/01/hirise_avalanche.jpg" target="_blank">Under magnification</a>, you can see it's a dust cloud... the debris raised up after an avalanche of sand on the Martian surface!<br /><br />Those tendrils are from the darker material under the pink sand. When dry ice under the surface warms up in the summer, it disturbs and dislodges the gray basaltic sand around it. This slides downhill, creating these weird, hair-like features. It's no surprise that some people mistook them for some form of life on the Red Planet! But I don't see the need to make up fantasy-based scenarios for pictures like this one, when we can see that Mars is fantastic enough.<br /><br /><strong>Get the higher-res version <a href="http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/PSP_007962_2635" target="_blank">here</a>.</strong><br /><br /><em>Image credit: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona</em>The Sun is a common target for astronomers both professional and amateur. It's so big and bright that you can really see a lot of detail, and every year a lot of pictures of it hit the 'net. You can get jaded from them all.<br /><br />Which is why <a href="http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2010/10/28/the-boiling-erupting-sun/" target="_blank">Alan Friedman's solar portrait</a> blew me away when I saw it. It's actually a composite of two pictures: the outer limb of the Sun combined with a seperate shot of the Sun's disk. Not only that, he inverted the shot of the disk, essentially taking the negative. It gives the Sun a fuzzy, eerie appearance, and startled me when I saw it. I've never seen the Sun displayed in quite this way, giving it a beauty and delicacy I wouldn't thought possible. It's truly the most amazing picture of the Sun I've seen this year. And don't miss Alan's <a href="http://www.avertedimagination.com/img_pages/not_the_great_pumpkin2.html" target="_blank">close-up shots of the limb</a>, either!<br /><br /><strong>Get the higher-res version <a href="http://www.avertedimagination.com/img_pages/not_the_great_pumpkin.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</strong><br /><br /><em>Image credit: Alan Friedman, used with permission.</em><br />I've been doing this a long time, and I've seen it all: galaxies and planets, gas clouds and moons, stars being born and stars dying... but when I saw <a href="http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2010/09/06/awesome-death-spiral-of-a-bizarre-star/" target="_blank">this picture</a>, I knew there were yet surprises in the sky.<br /><br />When I saw this I literally gasped out loud; I had never seen any structure in space like it. And when I read what it was, my amazement did not decrease: it's the dusty wind of a dying star. <br /><br />The object, called AFGL 3068, is a binary star, two stars in an 800-year orbit around one another. One of them is a red giant, a star near the end of its life. It's blowing off massive amounts of dark dust, which is enveloping the pair and hiding them from view. But the system's spin is spraying the material out like a water sprinkler head, causing this giant and delicate spiral pattern on the sky. And by giant, I mean giant: the entire structure is about 3 <em>trillion</em> kilometers (about 2 trillion miles) across.<br /><br /><strong>Get the higher-res version <a href="http://www.spacetelescope.org/images/potw1020a/" target="_blank">here</a>.</strong><br /><br /><em>Image credit: ESA/NASA &amp; R. Sahai</em>For over two centuries asteroids were just points of light in telescopes (hence the term <em>asteroid</em>, which means "starlike"). Until recently, that is: we're a spacefaring race now, and we can send our robots to sniff out these giant rocks up close... and in July, the European Space Agency probe Rosetta flew past the asteroid Lutetia, <a href="http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2010/07/13/rosetta-sends-back-gorgeous-asteroid-closeups/" target="_blank">returning amazing close-ups of the rock</a>. <br /><br />This picture, <a href="http://www.planetary.org/blog/article/00002579/" target="_blank">which I borrowed from my friend Emily Lakdawalla at the Planetary Society Blog</a> (I fiddled with the contrast and brightness a bit to bring out the darker side) was taken at closest approach. Lutetia is about 130 km (80 miles) across, and is the largest asteroid we've visited. You can see it's a lumpy, battered, rock, pitted with craters. The details are stunning: giant boulders held by the weak gravity dot the surface, parallel grooves mark stress fractures in the surface (or secondary deposits of material ejected from impacts?), and shadows highlight the contours. <br /><br />We're just beginning to understand the nature of asteroids - and given that every now and again one of them pays Earth a catastrophic visit (just ask the dinosaurs) - it's good idea that we learn as much about them as we can.<br /><br /><strong>Get the higher-res version <a href="http://www.esa.int/esaMI/Rosetta/SEM44DZOFBG_0.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</strong><br /><br /><em>Image credit: ESA 2010 MPS for OSIRIS Team MPS/UPD/LAM/IAA/RSSD/INTA/UPM/DASP/IDA &amp; Emily Lakdawalla</em><br />Speaking of asteroid collisions, in January 2010 the automated skywatching telescope LINEAR spotted what looked like a comet orbiting the Sun in the inner asteroid belt, just beyond the orbit of Mars. It looked decidedly odd, so Hubble was pointed at it... and what it saw was so bizarre it caused a big stir in the astronomical community: the aftermath of a violent collision between two asteroids in space!<br /><a href="http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2010/02/02/hubble-captures-picture-of-asteroid-collision/" target="_blank"><br />The picture</a> is unprecendented: an X-shaped streak of light with a dramatic 50,000-kilometer-long tail sweeping away. Apparently, an asteroid roughly 150 meters or so across - which you can see as a point of light at the upper left tip of the X - was hit at high speed by a smaller rock only a few meters across. The smaller object was vaporized by the energy of collision, which would've had the same yield as an atomic explosion!<br /><br />The tail is from sand-grain to pebble-sized debris from the explosion moving away due to pressure of sunlight, which acts like a very gentle wind on the particles. The other line of the X is probably from a piece of rubble ejected off the main rock, leaving its own trail of debris behind. Judging from changes in the debris shape over time,<a href="denied:denied:denied:denied:denied:denied:denied:denied:denied:denied:denied:denied:denied:denied:denied:timeline: http://www2.ess.ucla.edu/~jewitt/P2010A2_0.html" target="_blank"> the collision probably happened in February or March 2009</a>, but the asteroid was up during the day at that time and was unobservable. It took several months to discover it, and a few more to understand what this strange object was telling us. <br /><br />Collisions like this are estimated to happen roughly once per year in the asteroid belt, but the distance makes them very hard to observe. Hopefully, as more survey telescopes come online, we'll see more of these spectacular events. <br /><br /><strong>Get the higher-res version <a href="http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2010/07/image/" target="_blank">here</a>.</strong><br /><br /><em>Image credit: <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/">NASA</a>, <a href="http://www.spacetelescope.org/">ESA</a>, and D. Jewitt (UCLA)</em>One glance at this picture lets you know why M51 is commonly called The Whirlpool. At 23 million light years away, it's visible through binoculars (barely; I always have a hard time spotting it), so when you point something like Hubble at it you know <a href="http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2010/02/02/revisiting-the-whirlpool/" target="_blank">you'll be getting an incredible view</a>.<br /><br />This gorgeous shot is actually a composite of four different filtered images by Robert Gendler, an accomplished astrophotographer. The original release, done in 2005, was of course beautiful, but Robert took a stab at it and was able to make it even better. <br /><br />The Whirlpool is actually two galaxies interacting with one another. The spiral galaxy is nearly face-on, and you can easily trace the magnificent arms, laced with red gas clouds forming new stars, and dark lanes of dust created when stars are born and when they die. The other galaxy is the orange blobby one, a dwarf irregular. It may have already passed through the bigger galaxy twice, and will eventually merge with it. We think all big galaxies grow by consuming smaller ones in this manner. In a few hundred million more years there won't be two galaxies left to see, just one somewhat bigger one. Our own Milky Way Galaxy probably underwent a similar event many times!<br /><br /><strong>Get the high-res version <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/imagegallery/image_feature_1577.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</strong><br /><br /> <em>Image Credit: NASA, Hubble Heritage Team, (STScI/AURA), ESA, S. Beckwith (STScI). Additional Processing: Robert Gendler</em>There are two pictures this year that made my list that aren't strictly astronomy, but I couldn't resist. The first is this one, <a href="http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2010/06/20/the-green-fire-of-the-southern-lights/" target="_blank">the aurora australis</a> - the southern counterpart to the northern lights - as seen from above by astronauts on the International Space Station. <br /><br />Charged particles from the Sun stream along the Earth's magnetic field, guided to the north and south poles, where they crash into our atmosphere and generate light. The color of the light depends on the molecule or atom hit; in this case, the green glow is due to oxygen. <br /><br />Although the particles generating the light tend to be 80 - 160 km up (50 - 100 miles), the space station is even higher. This view is also well off to the side; the astronaut who took the picture was looking at the limb of the Earth, several thousand miles away. All in all the color, perspective, and the amazing glowing stream combine to make this a lovely and decidedly unearthly photograph from space.<br /><br /><strong>Get the higher-res version <a href="http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/scripts/sseop/photo.pl?mission=ISS023&amp;roll=E&amp;frame=58455" target="_blank">here</a>.</strong><br /><br /><em>Image credit: NASA/Expedition 23</em>Space near the Sun is mostly empty, devoid of gas and stars. But travel 7500 light years in the direction of the constellation Carina and you'll slam into one of the largest and most complex star-forming regions in the galaxy: the sprawling Carina nebula. Massive stars being born there blast out radiation and winds that sculpt the surrounding material, creating weird and wonderful shapes. <br /><br />So what better way for astronomers to celebrate the Hubble Space Telescope's 20th year in orbit than to use it to take <a href="http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2010/04/27/hubble-celebrates-20-years-in-space-with-a-jaw-dropper/" target="_blank">a huge mosaic of Carina</a>? This astonishing portrait shows the towering pillars of gas and dust being eaten away by cosmic erosion; the narrow, focused jets of material blasting away from stars eating away at their cocoons; ribbons and sheets of compressed gas lighting up space; and the nascent stars themselves as they turn on for the first time. <br /><br /><strong>Get the higher-res version <a href="http://www.spacetelescope.org/images/heic1007a/" target="_blank">here</a>.</strong><br /><br />
<p><em>Image credit: NASA, ESA, M. Livio and the Hubble 20th Anniversary Team (STScI)</em></p>
<br />This is the second of the two not-strictly astronomy pictures in this list, and is also taken from the International Space Station. <a href="http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2010/02/13/twilight-of-the-shuttle/" target="_blank">It shows the Space Shuttle Orbiter <em>Endeavour</em></a> just minutes before docking with ISS. Both the ISS and Endeavour were orbiting the Earth at 8 km/sec (5 miles/sec), passing into the dark side of the Earth, essentially experiencing sunset - which they do 18 times a day!<br /><br />This image is beautiful, of course, showing the layered colors of sunset as seen from 350km (210 miles) above the Earth's surface. But this picture is also a metaphor for the Shuttle itself: this was the second-to-last mission of the <em>Endeavour</em>, and in fact the last misson for the Orbiter will be the last mission for the entire fleet: after that flight, the Space Shuttle program will be finished, the Orbiters retired, and an as-yet unnamed rocket system will take over. In the meantime, American astronauts will hitch rides on Russian rockets, as well as on the Falcon 9 rocket from the private company SpaceX, <a href="http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2010/12/03/spacex-to-launch-dragon-capule-december-7/" target="_blank">which recently had a wonderfully successful test flight</a>. <br /><br />As for the Shuttle... the last launch of <em>Endeavour</em> is scheduled for April 2011, when it really will fly into the sunset for the last time.<br /><br /><strong>Get the higher-res version <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/imagegallery/image_feature_1592.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</strong><br /><br /><em>Image credit: NASA</em>Choosing these images every year is tough, but this year there was one shot so outstanding that as soon as I saw it, I knew it would be Number One!<br /><br />This jaw-dropping picture - an insanely huge mosaic of 32 pictures taken by astrophotographer and amateur astronomer Rogelio Andreo - is Orion... <em>the whole constellation!</em> [<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/badastronomy/5258701469/sizes/o/" target="_blank">Here is a higher-res version</a> - 4000 x 2600 pixels! - hosted on Flickr, or <a href="http://blog.deepskycolors.com/archive/2010/10/22/orion-from-Head-to-Toes.html" target="_blank">you can get it from his site itself</a>.] If you look carefully you'll spot the familiar stars: orange Betelgeuse in the upper left, blue-white Rigel on the lower right, and his famous three belt stars in the middle.<br /><br />If you have trouble seeing the pattern of stars, it's not surprising.  Rogelio used filters that show stars, but which also accentuate the vast amount of hydrogen gas in this part of the galaxy. The glowing nebulosity almost outshines the stars themselves!<br /><br />How about a short tour? There's a lot to see:<br /><br />At the top of the picture is the Lambda Orionis nebula, the huge red cloud straddling Orion's shoulders. The blue star roughly centered in it is Lambda Orionis itself, a massive, hot, young star that is so brilliant it's ionizing the entire nebula... which is dozens of light years across.<br /><br />Lower down, a vast red ring of gas starts just above Orion's belt and swings down to just above his knees. That's Barnard's Loop, a spherical bubble of gas formed as one massive star after another exploded deep in the heart of Orion, each sending out octillions of tons of gas at speeds of thousands of kilometers per second! This material screamed outwards, slamming into and sweeping up the ambient gas in the region. This eventually snowplowed all that material into the bubble, which is heated today and glowing due to the still-thriving massive stars inside it. The Loop is about 300 light years in diameter - 3 <em>quadrillion</em> kilometers (2 quadrillion miles)!<br /><br />In the center of the loop is perhaps the most famous gas cloud in the sky: <a href="http://blog.deepskycolors.com/archive/2009/09/19/orions-Deep-Field--Belt-and-sword.html" target="_blank">the great Orion Nebula</a>. It's 1500 light years away, yet easily visible to the naked eye; the Sun would be an invisible dot at that distance! But the nebula is churning out young stars which light up the gas, making this one of the brightest examples of stellar nurseries in our galaxy. If there are aliens in other galaxies looking our way, the Orion Nebula would be easily visible as a Milky Way landmark.<br /><br />Above the great nebula and to the left a bit, hanging down from the leftmost star (Alnitak) is a straight line of gas, excited by the star. Superposed on that is a dense, dark globule of dust and molecules in <a href="http://blog.deepskycolors.com/archive/2008/12/27/horsehead-Nebula-Ic-434.html" target="_blank">the uncanny shape of a horse's head</a>, as if the galaxy is playing a cosmic game of chess. <br /><br />And finally, I must note the long, bluish nebulosity just to the right of Rigel at the bottom of the picture. When flipped upside-down, it becomes obvious why this is called the <a href="http://blog.deepskycolors.com/archive/2009/11/16/witch-Head-Nebula-and-Rigel.html" target="_blank">Witch Head Nebula</a>! The resemblance to a witch is pretty amazing. Funny, too: when seen sideways it looks like a running ghost, and you'll see it sometimes called that as well. The perfect nebula for Halloween.<br /><br />Any one of these pieces of Orion are shot so beautifully by Rogelio that they would deserve to be in this list, but all together... <strong>WOW</strong>. I mean, <em>seriously</em>. I've seen Orion a bazillion times; it's up in the south after sunset all winter long, and has so many wonderful objects in it that every amateur astronomer makes it a familiar destination for the telescope. I can't tell you how many times I've observed various nebulae in it, scanned it with binoculars, or just gazed at it with my own two eyes, soaking in its pattern and colors. <br /><br />But I have never, <em>ever</em>, seen it like this. This picture has beauty, clarity, depth, sharpness, and most importantly sheer stunning <em>breadth</em> that makes it truly one of the most amazing astrophotographs I have ever seen. It's also a first: this is the first time I've picked an image by an amateur astronomer (as opposed to one from a professional observatory or spacecraft) for the number one slot. This photograph earned it.<br /><br />Congratulations to Rogelio for this incredible work of art, my Number One pick for the best Astronomy Picture of 2010. <br /><br /><strong>Get the stunning super-high-res version <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/badastronomy/5258701469/sizes/o/" target="_blank">here</a>.</strong><br /><br /><em>Image credit: Rogelio Andreo, used by permission</em><br />


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December 14th, 2010 7:01 AM Tags: asteroid, aurorae, Cassini, comet, globular cluster, Hubble Space Telescope, ISS, LRO, Lutetia, Mars, Moon, mro, Orion, planetary nebulae, Rhea, Rogelio Andreo, Rosetta, Saturn, Space Shuttle, Space Shuttle Endeavour, Sun, Titan, WISE
by Phil Plait in Astronomy, Cool stuff, NASA, Pretty pictures, Science, Space, Top Post | 112 comments | RSS feed | Trackback >

112 Responses to “The Top 14 Astronomy Pictures of 2010”

  1. 1.   Bad Astronomer’s Best Astronomy Photos of the Year (No Robots) « Bots High Says:
    December 14th, 2010 at 7:07 am

    [...] their best astronomy photos for 2010. They’re all breathtakingly stunning. Check all 14 out here. [...]

  2. 2.   Gary Ansorge Says:
    December 14th, 2010 at 7:11 am

    Ooh,ow,OOh!!!

    So many to choose from, so little time. My favorites are,,,ah heck they’re ALL my favorites.

    Tanks.

    Gary 7

  3. 3.   Gary Ansorge Says:
    December 14th, 2010 at 8:43 am

    Speaking of universes, here’s another take on concentric rings w/in the CMB. Possible indications of multiple universes.

    Way cool!

    http://www.technologyreview.com/blog/arxiv/26132/?nlid=3883

    Gary 7

  4. 4.   David Says:
    December 14th, 2010 at 8:46 am

    Awesome pictures, thanks

  5. 5.   CameronSS Says:
    December 14th, 2010 at 9:05 am

    I just got to #1, and WOW. It took me an amazingly long time to recognize what I’ve been spotting since I was six.

    So what, do we get a Top 18 next year, then a Top 25, etc.?

  6. 6.   Paul from VA Says:
    December 14th, 2010 at 9:09 am

    I confess that I may have just copied the last image and switched it to my desktop background. Awesome list.

  7. 7.   kuhnigget Says:
    December 14th, 2010 at 9:16 am

    In honor of Robert Burnham, Jr., of Burnham’s Celestial Handbook fame, that portion of the Carina nebula should be referred to as “The Star Queen,” a rather romantic label Burnham championed, one of many in his fine and inspirational reference set.

  8. 8.   Michel Says:
    December 14th, 2010 at 9:17 am

    Cool pics. Now I want to see the other 986. Without seeing those I can´t say anything relevant on your choice.
    URL?

  9. 9.   Edward Says:
    December 14th, 2010 at 9:23 am

    Not that it matters, but the M51 remix is actually from 2009.

    http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap091226.html

  10. 10.   Jamey Says:
    December 14th, 2010 at 9:30 am

    I am absolutely amazed that you failed (as far as I can find, and the search box can find) to cover the image of Tracy Dyson looking down at the Earth through the ISS Cupola window bay. What it says about how far we’ve come is simply breath-taking. (See link from name for APOD coverage of image).

  11. 11.   Jessy Says:
    December 14th, 2010 at 9:41 am

    All of these are amazing but the image of Orion is just breathtaking.
    Awe inspiring images made even better by the science behind them.
    Thank you!

  12. 12.   Daniel J. Andrews Says:
    December 14th, 2010 at 9:55 am

    The tendrils on the sand dunes in Mars still makes me shiver a bit. It looks like alien trees. Or a close-up of the sporolating stage of chocolate fingers slime mould (type those last four words into Google and view images to see what I mean).

    As usual, awe-inspiring pictures. Thank you.

  13. 13.   Richard Says:
    December 14th, 2010 at 10:13 am

    No Comet Hartley 2? Travesty! :-)

  14. 14.   gameshowhost Says:
    December 14th, 2010 at 10:25 am

    Awesome, Phil!

  15. 15.   BigBob Says:
    December 14th, 2010 at 11:07 am

    Thats excellent, thanks Phil

  16. 16.   J. Major Says:
    December 14th, 2010 at 11:07 am

    It’s really an awesome period of space exploration that we’re in right now that all of these images came to us within the span of ONE YEAR! Any one of them could have been the top astronomy image of the year, each is so amazing in its own right.

    For artistic value, I do like Alan’s image the best though. Fan-tastic.

  17. 17.   Illka Says:
    December 14th, 2010 at 11:13 am

    The 14 images in this article is truly great. If you like space images these are from the ISS and take by astronaut Wheelock. They are out of this world (pun intended)
    http://triggerpit.com/2010/11/22/incredible-pics-nasa-astronaut-wheelock/

  18. 18.   Dara Says:
    December 14th, 2010 at 11:21 am

    You made a typo on NGC 6934, Phil! In the last a paragraph about the stellar photo, you mixed the numbers up to 6394. #corrections

    Great pics! This year truly was a fantastic year in astronomy photos!

  19. 19.   Donnie B. Says:
    December 14th, 2010 at 11:33 am

    Perhaps we should assign the number 14 the name “Astronomer’s Dozen”.

    Great images. Now, what were the other 16 in your top 30?

  20. 20.   apaeter Says:
    December 14th, 2010 at 11:40 am

    I’ve always wondered about this when nebulae are shown just outside the window in scifi movies – could you get close enough to things like the Carina nebula that they would fill a car/spaceship window? And if I read it right, it’s a visible light picture of the Carina nebula, but would it look anything like it does here? Could you have a habitable planet* close enough so that thing would fill the night sky (and look this awesome)?

    *only in the sense that, say, the moon is habitable – you could set up a base there (never mind how we get there, obviously)

  21. 21.   Iris Says:
    December 14th, 2010 at 12:30 pm

    Image #5 is titled “Tendrils from Poplar Dunes”… Poplar’s are trees here on earth. Are these trees growing out of the tendrils?

  22. 22.   bigjohn756 Says:
    December 14th, 2010 at 12:38 pm

    Fourteen is not a nice round number! I suggest that you find six more pics to bring the total up to 20 which is round on both ends.

  23. 23.   Anonymous Says:
    December 14th, 2010 at 12:41 pm

    [...] Plait publicou o Top 14 de Fotos de Astronomia de 2011. A vencedora: A minha preferida: Fonte: The Top 14 Astronomy Pictures of 2010 | Bad Astronomy | Discover Magazine Deliciem-se que vale a [...]

  24. 24.   Harry1144 Says:
    December 14th, 2010 at 2:08 pm

    Can you imagine what the night sky must look like on an Earth-like planet in that globular cluster?

  25. 25.   Pablojota » Blog Archive » Las mejores 14 fotos astronómicas de 2010 Says:
    December 14th, 2010 at 2:33 pm

    [...] quedarse con catorce… Porque es su lista y él decide Y si pichas en este link puedes acceder a discovermagazine donde puedes ver las 14 [...]

  26. 26.   Eoin Says:
    December 14th, 2010 at 2:36 pm

    It sort of looks like one of those electron microscope images of a human egg.
    almost a hierarchy of life giving things.

  27. 27.   Matt B. Says:
    December 14th, 2010 at 3:04 pm

    Seriously, what are those vertical structures coming out of the Martian polar dunes?

  28. 28.   Las mejores imagenes de internet - P Says:
    December 14th, 2010 at 3:42 pm

    [...] [...]

  29. 29.   Keith Bowden Says:
    December 14th, 2010 at 3:42 pm

    Looking at the asteroid, Murray Gold’s Doctor Who themes (which were already running through my head, I’ve been watching 2005-8 and 1963-4 eps recently) were replaced by John Williams pieces from The Empire Strikes Back.

  30. 30.   veebs Says:
    December 14th, 2010 at 3:52 pm

    The picture of Orion is UNREAL!!

    Were the pictures from the LRO published in 2009? Otherwise, I would have expected at least one picture showing traces of human activity on the lunar surface!!

  31. 31.   Amazing Textures | dubcomm - the toronto teknopusher Says:
    December 14th, 2010 at 4:39 pm

    [...] Source: http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2010/12/14/the-top-14-astronomy-pictures-of-2010/ [...]

  32. 32.   Jacob B Says:
    December 14th, 2010 at 6:07 pm

    The picture of Orion was AMAZING! I also check his website out, and he has INCREDIBLE photos! And, to think, he has only been doing this for 3 years (I think, his first picture was in 2007 and he said in its description that it was his first.) But, wow, I’ve never seen anything like that! WOW!!!

  33. 33.   Naomi Says:
    December 14th, 2010 at 7:30 pm

    That Orion shot is AMAZING. I’ve watched Orion all my life, and I’ve never seen it like that.

    And I have to admit, after spending a semester in the Mars class at University of Arizona, I do get a tinge of the warm fuzzies when I see HiRISE shots. Those pictures were from the building next door! So cool. (We got to tour the operation center, McEwan did a guest lecture or two. The professor was Peter Smith, who was the PI on Phoenix. Very nice Mars pedigree – I took the final today.)

  34. 34.   kuhnigget Says:
    December 14th, 2010 at 8:25 pm

    @ Matt & Iris:

    Read the good doctor BA’s last paragraph. The dark streaks aren’t separate structures rising above dunes, they are “stains” of darker material on flat, nearly perpendicular slopes.

    @ Harry 1144:

    Isaac Asimov did just that in his most famous story, Nightfall:

    Through it shone the Stars!

    Not Earth’s feeble thirty-six hundred Stars visible to the eye; Lagash
    was in the center of a giant cluster. Thirty thousand mighty suns shone down
    in a soul-searing splendor that was more frighteningly cold in its awful
    indifference than the bitter wind that shivered across the cold, horribly
    bleak world.

  35. 35.   Messier Tidy Upper Says:
    December 14th, 2010 at 8:55 pm

    Superluminous. (Beyond just brilliant.) Thankyou Bad Astronomer. :-)

    I love the way you do these & have been looking forward to your choices for ages. Even if it *is* still 2010 now with a week or two left for a couple of other contenders to emerge! ;-)

    Great selection even if it doesn’t include the one I’d have picked as no. 1 – this :

    http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2010/06/21/gravitys-galactic-brushstrokes/

    “aerial fly over” one of spiral galaxy Messier 66. Which is my personal all-time favourite astronomical image. :-)

    Also – Lutetia makes it (fair enough) but yet no Comet Hartley 2 close ups? Wha-aa .. ?

    Still, as you rightly note, there’s so many breath-takingly spectacular and beautiful possible candidate images and, yes, it must have been just so hard to choose. Top 14? I reckon you could easily have made it a top 20 at least! ;-)

    Please, pretty please, could we have a Top 10 or 15 Runners up to go with this later BA?

  36. 36.   Messier Tidy Upper Says:
    December 14th, 2010 at 9:25 pm

    @24. Harry1144 Says:

    Can you imagine what the night sky must look like on an Earth-like planet in that globular cluster?

    With that many bright stars you’d have to ask – *what* “night” sky? ;-)

    Unfortunately, its likely there are very few (if any) exoplanets in the Globular clusters due to their low metallicities and unfathomable ancientness of them, born when the universe was young and there were far less non-Hydrogen, non-Helium elements around.

    Still there is at least one (although as far as I’m aware only one) known exoplanet orbiting inside a globular cluster the “Methuselah Planet” or “Genesis Planet” in the Globular Messier 4 next to Antares :

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PSR_B1620-26_b

    Although its a Superjovian world with twice -&-a-half Jupiter’s mass and most likely has no inhabitable moons given its history and the harsh radiation from the pulsar it orbits.

    I imagine its also possible some wandering rogue planets formed but then ejected from their original suns could have been captured into orbit around Globulars so I guess you never know! What a veiw they’d have indeed – and if on the Globulars outskirts they’d be able to look down on our Milky Way from above and below as well – skyglow permitting! :-)

    @7. kuhnigget :

    In honor of Robert Burnham, Jr., of Burnham’s Celestial Handbook fame, that portion of the Carina nebula should be referred to as “The Star Queen,” a rather romantic label Burnham championed, one of many in his fine and inspirational reference set.

    Great idea and well-remembered there – I second this suggestion. :-)

    @ 20. apaeter :

    I’ve always wondered about this when nebulae are shown just outside the window in scifi movies – could you get close enough to things like the Carina nebula that they would fill a car/spaceship window? And if I read it right, it’s a visible light picture of the Carina nebula, but would it look anything like it does here? Could you have a habitable planet* close enough so that thing would fill the night sky (and look this awesome)?

    Well I think you *could* have a habitable planet (or even given the vast distances a lot of planets in a certain radius zone of distances) where this is possible.

    Regrettably, & I hate to be a downer & hope I’m wrong here, I’m not sure whether the human eye would be sensitive enough to pick up the colours and fine detail in the nebula here even if it was situated in the right area for the Carina nebula (& similar ones) to fill the sky. We don’t tend to see colour well enough at night – although it’d still be a superbly wonderful sight – and who knows if the nebula is bright enough it could still work out as you’ve suggested there and I really hope! :-)

  37. 37.   anonymous coward Says:
    December 15th, 2010 at 12:14 am

    pity the mobile site is useless and lacks links to desktop site. honestly, mobile browsers are sometimes better than their desktop counterparts (apologies to all those IE 6 users out there).

  38. 38.   Las 14 mejores fotos de astronomía de 2010 Says:
    December 15th, 2010 at 12:49 am

    [...] Las 14 mejores fotos de astronomía de 2010   blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2010/12/14/the-to…  por spainispain hace 2 segundos [...]

  39. 39.   amphiox Says:
    December 15th, 2010 at 8:04 am

    Regrettably, & I hate to be a downer & hope I’m wrong here, I’m not sure whether the human eye would be sensitive enough to pick up the colours and fine detail in the nebula here even if it was situated in the right area for the Carina nebula (& similar ones) to fill the sky.

    Even if true, though, it still leaves open the possibility of non-human eyes. What would an owl see, for instance? (Or an alien with nocturnal adapted color vision?)

  40. 40.   amphiox Says:
    December 15th, 2010 at 8:13 am

    I have to also opine that even if the human eye can’t distinguish the colors of these nebulae very well, if we can still make out the shape and structure, even if we only see pale, wispy shades of white, it would still be an awesome sight to see one of these things up close.

  41. 41.   Glenwood Agency » i hope momma gets her shoppin’ done Says:
    December 15th, 2010 at 8:35 am

    [...] Top 14 astronomy pictures of 2010  [...]

  42. 42.   Tristan Heydt Says:
    December 15th, 2010 at 10:36 am

    And just like that, I have a new lock screen image and a new homepage image for my phone.

  43. 43.   Daily UFO Headlines 12/15/10 | Openminds.tv Says:
    December 15th, 2010 at 11:25 am

    [...] The Top 14 Astronomy Pictures of 2010 – Discover Share and Enjoy: [...]

  44. 44.   Daily UFO Headlines 12/15/10 | Paranormal World Says:
    December 15th, 2010 at 11:36 am

    [...] The Top 14 Astronomy Pictures of 2010 – Discover [...]

  45. 45.   Mandy Says:
    December 15th, 2010 at 12:37 pm

    Great photos! :) I so love reading your blog. Everyone should be fed a lot more Science :)

  46. 46.   A Bucketful O’ Links « scientia et sapientia Says:
    December 15th, 2010 at 11:18 pm

    [...] The top 14 astronomy photos of 2010 [...]

  47. 47.   Messier Tidy Upper Says:
    December 15th, 2010 at 11:45 pm

    @19. Donnie B. Says:

    Perhaps we should assign the number 14 the name “Astronomer’s Dozen”.

    I’d rather an astronomers dozen = fifteen & get another image.

    Besides ’15′ is more aesthetically pleasing, handier and generally better number in my view! ;-)

  48. 48.   The best astronomy photos of 2010 — Lost At E Minor: For creative people Says:
    December 16th, 2010 at 8:16 am

    [...] Magazine have just published a collection of their fourteen best astronomy photos of the year, which contain some mind-bending insights into the marvelous, mystical world [...]

  49. 49.   The best astronomy photos of 2010 | Ghost Room Says:
    December 16th, 2010 at 9:54 am

    [...] Discover MagazineがThe best astronomy photos of 2010(宇宙の写真)を公開しました。今年はハヤブサタンといい昨今の双子座流星群といい宇宙のお話が沢山ありました。 [...]

  50. 50.   Las mejores fotos de astronomía del 2010 Says:
    December 16th, 2010 at 10:13 am

    [...] Acá la dirección: the top 14-astronomy pictures of 2010 [...]

  51. 51.   Ben Says:
    December 16th, 2010 at 12:27 pm

    It looks like the stars in Van Gogh’s Starry Night painting, doesn’t it?

  52. 52.   The Art Tree | Blog » Photography | Astronomy photo’s | Best of 2010 Says:
    December 17th, 2010 at 1:28 am

    [...] astronomy pictures, sometimes too. Discover Magazine have just published a collection of their best astronomy photos of the year, which contain some mind-bending insights into [...]

  53. 53.   Due gallerie di splendide immagini per raccontare il 2010 dal punto di vista di Scienza e Tecnologia « Lo scettico errante Says:
    December 17th, 2010 at 4:09 am

    [...] Quest’anno Phil ha deciso di fare di più e ne ha scelte ben 14! E sono, come sempre, delle ottime scelte. Credo che le mie preferite siano quelle di Reha e Titano, quella di Carina e quella dello Space Shuttle Orbiter in fase di attracco, fotografato dalla ISS. [...]

  54. 54.   Top Astronomy Photos of the Year | The Agitator Says:
    December 17th, 2010 at 7:32 am

    [...] The spiral is the last throes of a dead star. More great photos here. [...]

  55. 55.   The Top 14 Astronomy Pictures of 2010 - MoPo | Geek News Says:
    December 17th, 2010 at 8:20 am

    [...] isn’t a microscopic photograph of a bacterial culture! It’s actually of rolling, hummocky dunes near the north pole of Mars. Taken with the Mars [...]

  56. 56.   Nuestra estrella « La balsa de la Nostromo Says:
    December 17th, 2010 at 1:39 pm

    [...] Esta  imagen del Sol fue obtenida por el astrónomo aficionado Alan Friedman La encontré en una antología de imágenes astronómicas de 2010 en Discover [...]

  57. 57.   Truth and Justice For All Says:
    December 18th, 2010 at 9:02 am

    [...] my visual interest more than astronomical photographs. So I was tickled to come across this set of fourteen of the best of 2010. Some are astounding captures of short-lived events, others are intense views of million year-long [...]

  58. 58.   Desde el espolón de Orión Says:
    December 18th, 2010 at 9:22 am

    Las 14 mejores imágenes astronómicas de 2010 según Phil Plait (I)…

    UN PUÑADO DE DIAMANTES Husmeando en los habituales blogs que frecuento hoy me he topado en Bad Astronomy con una clasificación de las mejores 14 imágenes astronómicas según su editor, Phil Blait. Como me ha gustado tanto he pensado en escribir una entr…

  59. 59.   Hugo Smulders Says:
    December 19th, 2010 at 6:03 am

    Awesome pictures and I love your explanation on the subjects as well. I’m so very sorry that I’m no Beta man (I’m no good in math, physics, chemistry), how I would love to be a scientist that explores and investigates these matters!
    Love to all my fellow astronomy-lovers!

  60. 60.   Spacetrawler - Spacetrawler – Voice Control Says:
    December 19th, 2010 at 10:01 pm

    [...] If you are hankering for some actual real space-porn, check out the top 14 astronomy pictures of 2010. [...]

  61. 61.   Mindy Says:
    December 20th, 2010 at 7:33 am

    If you think there is no higher power in the Universe – think again.

  62. 62.   Susan Says:
    December 20th, 2010 at 9:05 am

    Don’t forget about the horses head. (I think it looks more like a seahorse’s head). In the small red area to the immediate left of the belt stars.
    These are beautiful. I really enjoy your blog.

  63. 63.   Top Space Photos « threedonia.com Says:
    December 20th, 2010 at 10:38 am

    [...] Click here for the top 10 14 Astronomy photos from Discover’s Bad Astronomy Blog. [...]

  64. 64.   De maand van de lijstjes is weer aangebroken | Astroblogs Says:
    December 20th, 2010 at 1:06 pm

    [...] Phil Plait – the Bad Astronomer – z’n top-14 van beste Astrofoto’s. Vraag mij niet hoe hij aan 14 foto’s komt in plaats van 10, maar ik weet wel dat het regent eh… sneeuwt van mijn part met lijstjes van astrofoto’s. Plait kan ook moeilijk keuzes maken en dus heeft hij vandaag nog een top-10 met ‘runners-up’ gepubliceerd. Nummer één in Plait’s top-14 staat een fabuleuze foto van het sterrenbeeld Orion, die ik jullie pas liet zien. [...]

  65. 65.   Wednesday Linkdump – Dec. 22nd, 2010 « Seeking the New Earth Says:
    December 22nd, 2010 at 8:14 am

    [...] Best Astronomy Pics of the Year: These are pretty and may churn some appreciation in your heart for God’s creation, and maybe mix up the creative juices a bit. [...]

  66. 66.   Top Ten Astronomy Pictures of 2010 « My Little Posterous Says:
    December 22nd, 2010 at 12:41 pm

    [...] I made my Top 14 Astronomy Pictures of 2010, it was really tough cutting some out. This is a gallery of the images that, for whatever reasons, [...]

  67. 67.   Top 14 Astronomy Photos of 2010 | friskyGeek Says:
    December 22nd, 2010 at 1:16 pm

    [...] Bad Astronomy lists its favourite pictures of the year. [...]

  68. 68.   Berry Says:
    December 22nd, 2010 at 1:41 pm

    “But I don’t see the need to make up fantasy-based scenarios for pictures like this one, when we can see that Mars is fantastic enough.”

    This follows “It’s no surprise that some people mistook them for some form of life on the Red Planet!”

    Be fair. Mistaking something for something else isn’t the same as “making up fantasy”.

    Good article, but please bear in mind that skeptic =/= closed-minded nonbeliever.

  69. 69.   Berry Says:
    December 22nd, 2010 at 1:45 pm

    Reminds me of the “Norway Lights”. http://www.vizworld.com/2009/12/norways-mysterious-spiral-light-display-semiexplained/

  70. 70.   Terry Gilliam Presents a New CG Steampunk Epic, How to Fly a Harrier | Tech News Daily Says:
    December 22nd, 2010 at 6:15 pm

    [...] It’s list season, and Bad Astronomy’s got a great roundup of the top 14 astronomy pictures from 2010. [From: Bad Astronomy] [...]

  71. 71.   markhealey.org » Blog Archives » The top 14 astronomy photos of 2010 Says:
    December 22nd, 2010 at 9:39 pm

    [...] Bad Astronomy: Every year, thousands of incredible images of the sky are taken from observatories on the ground and in space, from spacecraft, and from amateur astronomers. And it seems that the people who make these images are getting better with time, creating nothing short of art. [...]

  72. 72.   Terry Gilliam Presents a New CG Steampunk Epic, How to Fly a Harrier | BuyElectro.com Says:
    December 22nd, 2010 at 10:09 pm

    [...] It’s list season, and Bad Astronomy’s got a great roundup of the top 14 astronomy pictures from 2010. [From: Bad Astronomy] [...]

  73. 73.   Best Astronomy Photos of the Year (Discover) « Bowdoin Daily Sun Says:
    December 24th, 2010 at 5:39 am

    [...] Advice for Copy Editors (Subversive Copy Editor) »Best Astronomy Photos of the Year (Discover)There are fourteen of them, and they’re stunning! (Photo credit: NASA, Hubble Heritage Team, (STScI/AURA), ESA, S. [...]

  74. 74.   Terry Gilliam Presents a New CG Steampunk Epic, How to Fly a Harrier | Facebook and social networking news Says:
    December 24th, 2010 at 12:29 pm

    [...] It’s list season, and Bad Astronomy’s got a great roundup of the top 14 astronomy pictures from 2010. [From: Bad Astronomy] [...]

  75. 75.   Terry Gilliam Presents a New CG Steampunk Epic, How to Fly a Harrier | nexgenlife.com Says:
    December 24th, 2010 at 7:31 pm

    [...] It’s list season, and Bad Astronomy’s got a great roundup of the top 14 astronomy pictures from 2010. [From: Bad Astronomy] [...]

  76. 76.   Terry Gilliam Presents a New CG Steampunk Epic, How to Fly a Harrier | nexgenlife.com Says:
    December 26th, 2010 at 7:31 pm

    [...] It’s list season, and Bad Astronomy’s got a great roundup of the top 14 astronomy photos from 2010. [From: Bad Astronomy] [...]

  77. 77.   Top 10 “Top Photo Lists” « JMG-Galleries - Jim M. Goldstein Photography Says:
    December 27th, 2010 at 12:02 am

    [...] Top 10 14 Astronomy PIctures of 2010 – Discover [...]

  78. 78.   Top 10 “Top Photo Lists” - Wow Photo Says:
    December 27th, 2010 at 1:37 am

    [...] Top 10 14 Astronomy PIctures of 2010 – Discover [...]

  79. 79.   Le migliori foto astronomiche del 2010 | Personal Report Says:
    December 27th, 2010 at 10:39 am

    [...] si comincia con i resoconti annuali. Per restare in tema astronomico vi segnalo la raccolta del professor Phil Plait che ha selezionato per il blog Bad Astronomy i 14 migliori scatti dallo [...]

  80. 80.   brett’s morning blend (28dec10) | aliens and strangers Says:
    December 28th, 2010 at 4:32 am

    [...] The Top 14 Astronomy Pictures of 2010 [...]

  81. 81.   More photos of the year! | The Hub: Adventures in Consciousness Says:
    December 28th, 2010 at 11:29 am

    [...] Bad Astronomy lists its top fourteen astronomy photos of the year, including this nearly unbelievable spiral pattern caused by a binary star. [...]

  82. 82.   Denise J. Swick Says:
    December 29th, 2010 at 3:41 am

    Beautiful! Thank you for taking the time to put this list together. The photo of Orion is Spectacular! It’s always been my favourite & figures prominently in many of my winter night photographs taken in the Rocky Mountains of Canada. I call him my “Man of the Night” – and I miss him when he goes away in the summer! Again, thanks from an appreciative Canadian Luna-tic. ( I have another website that is just getting set up, as well – http://www.lunisi.com )

  83. 83.   LA revue des revues de l’année 2010 | Blogue de Samuel Parent Says:
    December 30th, 2010 at 7:02 am

    [...] The Top 14 Astronomy Pictures of 2010, Discover Magazine [...]

  84. 84.   Science in 2010 « Earth « Science Today: Beyond the Headlines Says:
    December 30th, 2010 at 11:42 am

    [...] its 20th year in space this year by taking even more beautiful images. Several are included in Bad Astronomy’s “Top 14 Astronomy Pictures of [...]

  85. 85.   Slow Down, It’s Sunday « 'tis nobler – to learn and change Says:
    December 30th, 2010 at 11:00 pm

    [...] Bad Astronomy presents its top astronomy pictures for 2010. [...]

  86. 86.   Happy New Year! | Terrible Analogies Says:
    December 31st, 2010 at 2:06 am

    [...] Top 14 Astronomy Pictures of 2010 Top 20 Worst Songs of 2010 The Best Images of 2010 from Imgur Top 10 YouTube Videos of 2010 Top 10 Funny New Year’s Resolutions 2010 National Geographic Photo Contest (wallpapers) 2010 National Geographic Photo Contest (non-wallpapers) Top 10 News Stories of 2010 Top  Words of 2010 Best Video Games of 2010 Top 10 Boards Games of 2010 2010 Darwin Awards Top 10 Diseases of 2010 Top 10 Worst Movies of 2010 2010 Yearly Box Office Results Best Albums of 2010 Top 10 Most Memorable Quotes of 2010 Top 10 TV Jerks of 2010 [...]

  87. 87.   2010, the usual suspects « Lavonardo Says:
    January 3rd, 2011 at 1:53 pm

    [...] Bad Astronomy’s top 10 14 pictures. Filed under history, language, science, seasons Comment (RSS)  |  Trackback  |  Permalink [...]

  88. 88.   News Briefs 15-12-2010 | NPN – Noah Proofed News Says:
    January 5th, 2011 at 2:08 pm

    [...] Plait’s top ten astronomy pictures of [...]

  89. 89.   'tis nobler – to learn and change Says:
    January 5th, 2011 at 10:32 pm

    [...] Astronomy presents its top astronomy pictures for [...]

  90. 90.   Penelope Says:
    January 7th, 2011 at 2:34 am

    Thank you so much for this. And yet, as I approach fifty years, I would swap all these images for just ONE of a definite form of life from somewhere other than earth. I wonder if I will live to see the confirmation of the idea that we (by which I mean all animals on earth) are not the only life; the only creatures? Mathematically, is it more likely that I will die before we find real proof of other lives, or is it more probable that I’ll get some good news for my eightieth birthday present? (Yes, Gran, it’s an amoeba…)

    Maybe next year…

  91. 91.   Sunny Blog » The Milky Way’s (almost) identical twin | Bad Astronomy Says:
    January 7th, 2011 at 9:11 am

    [...] my Top 14 Astronomy Pictures of 2010, I started off with a galaxy I called the Milky Way’s fraternal twin; it looks a lot like ours, [...]

  92. 92.   Thirty Three Things (v. 30) » First Thoughts | A First Things Blog Says:
    January 7th, 2011 at 3:54 pm

    [...] 13. The Top 14 Astronomy Pictures of 2010 [...]

  93. 93.   The Top 14 Astronomy Pictures of 2010 | Bad Astronomy | Discover Magazine | joeysmart Says:
    January 12th, 2011 at 1:45 pm

    [...] of 2010 | Bad Astronomy | Discover Magazine Posted on January 12, 2011 by joeysmart via blogs.discovermagazine.com This entry was posted in Uncategorized. Bookmark the permalink. ← A Rising Tide Of [...]

  94. 94.   14 Top Astronomy Pictures of 2010 | Cultural Direction Says:
    January 12th, 2011 at 2:22 pm

    [...] 2010 Top Astronomy Photos [...]

  95. 95.   A macro perspective « OHSU Research News Says:
    January 12th, 2011 at 3:24 pm

    [...] Magazine offers its favorite astronomy images from 2010 here.  The image above was taken from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter’s HIRISE [...]

  96. 96.   Midday open thread - Online Political Blog Says:
    January 12th, 2011 at 4:03 pm

    [...] dude’s list of the top 14 astronomy pictures of the year. My favorites — Mars’ polar [...]

  97. 97.   Sirisha Says:
    January 13th, 2011 at 1:10 pm

    Thats excellent thankyou so much for sharing

  98. 98.   TUDO O QUE VOCÊ PRECISA SABER SOBRE 2010 « youPIX Says:
    January 15th, 2011 at 6:52 pm

    [...] – Top 14 fotos astronômicas de 2010, aqui. [...]

  99. 99.   The Angry Red Galaxy | taqveem Says:
    January 15th, 2011 at 7:52 pm

    [...] so it’s a very well studied object. The thumbnail image here (from Hubble, and was one of my Top 14 pictures of 2010) shows the whole thing, and you can see it’s a big ol’ spiral, with a yellowish irregular [...]

  100. 100.   Wings | O Frabjous Day Says:
    January 22nd, 2011 at 2:33 pm

    [...] Top 14 Astronomy Pictures from 2010 are incredible – I particularly like shots of the moons of Saturn, and the dunes of [...]

  101. 101.   The Most Incredible Image Of The Sun I Think I Have Ever Seen | FEELguide Says:
    March 10th, 2011 at 5:05 am

    [...] picture of the boiling Sun last year was hugely popular, and so amazing I featured it as one of my top pictures of 2010. And with this he’s done it again… and maybe even topped it. Alan used a filter that lets [...]

  102. 102.   Lorena Says:
    April 15th, 2011 at 9:33 am

    that negative picture of the sun reminded me of pictures I’ve seen of human eggs, (ovum) :D :D

  103. 103.   The Friday Shirk Report – January 21, 2011 | Volume 93 Says:
    July 18th, 2011 at 8:15 am

    [...] other in the world. The differences may surprise you – The World’s 18 Strangest Roadways – Discover Magazine’s Top 14 Astronomy Pictures of 2010 – 10 Awesome Dunks by Blake Griffin (thx for sharing @Chopperstyle – The Big Picture: The Dakar [...]

  104. 104.   Royal Observatory astronomy photographer of the year chosen | Bad Astronomy | Space News Center Says:
    September 12th, 2011 at 7:54 am

    [...] Now, that’s a beautiful picture, and my congrats to Damian for it. But I have to admit, I’m partial to deep-sky shots, and so I was glad to see Rogelio Bernal Andreo’s incredible “Orion from Head to Toe” make the list as well; after all, I picked it as my Top Astronomy Picture of 2010! [...]

  105. 105.   Royal Observatory astronomy photographer of the year chosen | Alkaon Network Says:
    September 12th, 2011 at 10:20 am

    [...] Now, that’s a beautiful picture, and my congrats to Damian for it. But I have to admit, I’m partial to deep-sky shots, and so I was glad to see Rogelio Bernal Andreo’s incredible “Orion from Head to Toe” make the list as well; after all, I picked it as my Top Astronomy Picture of 2010! [...]

  106. 106.   Royal Observatory astronomy photographer of the year chosen « 13 News Says:
    September 16th, 2011 at 1:18 pm

    [...] Now, that’s a beautiful picture, and my congrats to Damian for it. But I have to admit, I’m partial to deep-sky shots, and so I was glad to see Rogelio Bernal Andreo’s incredible “Orion from Head to Toe” make the list as well; after all, I picked it as my Top Astronomy Picture of 2010! [...]

  107. 107.   Sidelights | Cultural Direction Says:
    September 17th, 2011 at 7:08 am

    [...] Top 14 Astronomy Photos of 2010 [...]

  108. 108.   seeja Says:
    September 22nd, 2011 at 1:15 am

    great work..:)

  109. 109.   The Top 14 Astronomy Pictures of 2010 @ Bad Astronomy « SMZb Says:
    October 11th, 2011 at 11:22 am

    [...] Top 14 Astronomy Pictures of 2010 @ Bad Astronomy Source: blogs.discovermagazi… Astronomy | Use the thumbnails and arrows to browse the images, and click on the images [...]

  110. 110.   Number One Astronomy Picture of 2010: Orion from Head to Toe | SpaceWeb Says:
    November 8th, 2011 at 10:11 am

    [...] For more, see my blog post, Top 14 Astronomy Pictures of 2010. [...]

  111. 111.   reidh Says:
    November 21st, 2011 at 8:14 am

    I have only ever SEEN with naked eye the planet and moons of jupiter, but have been told that earth based viewing of this and similar clusters is like looking at a pile of diamonds or something even more dynamically precious. Jupiter and its moons look like jewels.

  112. 112.   reidh Says:
    November 21st, 2011 at 8:33 am

    I would think that events like this are way more common than most astronomers would have me “believe”. it is probably such occurances that give rise to these niggling NEO’s that come by once every 3 months or so.

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