astronomy Archives — Colossal

A photo taken during the Artemis II mission around the Moon huge in the foreground, with the Earth setting beyond

Artemis II Captures Spectacular Images of ‘Earthset’ from Deep Space

April 8, 2026

A colorful aurora borealis captured over a rocky landscape

Photographers Around the World Capture Astonishing Auroras During the Solar Maximum

December 8, 2025

a photo captured by the James Webb Space Telescope of four coiled shells of dust around a pair of Wolf-Rayet stars known as Apep

NASA’s Webb Telescope Captures the Dust Clouds of Apep, Named for the Egyptian God of Chaos

November 21, 2025

a photograph taken by the Webb space telescope of a planetary nebula called the Red Spider Nebula

A New Image of the Red Spider Nebula Captures the Radiance of a Dying Star

November 3, 2025

a photo of an armillary ring with engraved symbols and Zodiac signs

What Do Astronomy and Jewelry Have in Common? In the Late Renaissance, Look to the Stars

October 10, 2025

a dramatic wide-angle photo of a rocky landscape with aurora borealis and the Milky Way above

Cosmic Wonders Abound in the ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year Contest

September 18, 2025

a timelapse photo of stars circling around a dragon tree

The ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2025 Shortlist Revels in Our Remarkable Solar System

July 8, 2025

See the First Images of Our Solar System Taken by the World’s Biggest Digital Camera

June 25, 2025

a volcano erupts beneath the milky way

The Brilliant Milky Way Connects Photographers Around the Globe and Beyond in an Annual Contest

May 19, 2025

a photograph taken at night along the shore of Lake Michigan, with a magenta and green curtain of the northern lights in the distance and a laser-lit curtain of light draped over the water

Ethereal, Glowing Curtains Drape Over Lake Michigan in Reuben Wu’s Light Paintings

December 10, 2024

a glowing photograph of bright auroras, stars, and meteors over a mountain Croatian landscape with a house in the center

Luminous Skies Star in the 2024 Northern Lights Photographer of the Year Contest

December 3, 2024

A star cluster is shown inside a large nebula of many-coloured gas and dust. The material forms dark ridges and peaks of gas and dust surrounding the cluster, lit on the inner side, while layers of diffuse, translucent clouds blanket over them. Around and within the gas, a huge number of distant galaxies can be seen, some quite large, as well as a few stars nearer to us which are very large and bright.

A Star Is Born: A Phenomenal New Image Showcases a Stellar Nursery in Stunning Detail

October 30, 2024

an abstract image of the sun with glowing rings that appear to grow from the right side

A Brilliant Image of the Solar Eclipse Wins the 2024 Astronomy Photographer of the Year

September 13, 2024

meteors streak down the sky to frame the milky way, while stonehenge sits at the base

Bisected by the Milky Way, a Stellar Image Captures the Perseid Meteor Shower Raining Down on Stonehenge

August 15, 2024

A Pair of Staggering Infographics Organizes 1,600 Planets Beyond Our Solar System by Color

July 12, 2024

The James Webb Space Telescope Reveals Details of the Horsehead Nebula in Unprecedented Resolution

May 1, 2024