The most jaw-dropping pictures of space this year.
In 2022, we saw some of the most striking photos from deep space alongside brand-new views of our Solar System. Historically important, scientifically informative, or just plain beautiful, the year was full of remarkable space images.
Here are 10 stunning space images that defined 2022...
NASA/CXC/Dublin Inst. Advanced Studies/S. Green et al./JPL/Spitzer
Zeta Ophiuchi was ejected from its home galaxy when its partner star exploded, more than 1 million years before this image was captured.
NASA/CXC/Dublin Inst. Advanced Studies/S. Green et al./JPL/Spitzer
8. Earth from Orion
NASA
Earth shrinks into the distance as Orion heads toward the Moon for its Artemis I lunar flyby.
NASA
7. Sagittarius A*
EHT Collaboration
The first image of the black hole at the Milky Way’s center was made from telescope observations performed around the world.
EHT Collaboration
6. Webb deep field
NASA, ESA, CSA, and STScI
JWST’s first deep field is the sharpest infrared image of the early universe ever captured, showing galaxy cluster SMACS 0723 as it was 4.6 billion years ago.
NASA, ESA, CSA, and STScI
5. Lunar surface
NASA
Orion captured the closest photos of the lunar surface by a human-rated spacecraft since Apollo as it performed a flyby.
NASA
4. The Sun’s corona
ESA
ESA’s Solar Orbiter faced the heat to capture the closest footage ever of the Sun’s corona, taken from 26 million miles away.
ESA
3. Cone Nebula
ESO
ESO’s Very Large Telescope captured the star-forming Cone Nebula in striking detail to commemorate the observatory’s 60th anniversary.
NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, J. DePasquale (STScI), A. Pagan (STScI), A. M. Koekemoer (STScI); CC BY 4.0
Combined MIRCam/MIRI data from JWST shows the Pillars of Creation made famous by Hubble in a spectacular new light.
INVERSEcelebrates the best of the best in entertainment, gaming, science, and technology of 2022. Go to the INVERSE Awards hub.NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, J. DePasquale (STScI), A. Pagan (STScI), A. M. Koekemoer (STScI); CC BY 4.0