This week’s astrophotography selection brings together a striking range of night-sky photos, from close planetary encounters and lunar conjunctions to deep-sky nebulae captured under urban skies. Alongside distant cosmic structures, the collection also highlights rare atmospheric phenomena like STEVE. These stunning images remind us that spectacular events unfold both far beyond Earth and just above it.
Evening Alignment
Credit: @nebulxe via X
In this brilliant photo, a quiet celestial moment as four familiar worlds: Venus, our Moon, Jupiter, and Mercury — share the same evening sky. They appear close enough to feel almost within reach.
Luna-Venus Conjunction Over UK
Credit: @astronomy_dan via X
From the West Midlands, a delicate alignment of the Moon and Venus appears just above the western skyline. Earthshine adds a faint glow to the Moon’s shadowed surface, enhancing the depth of the scene.
Evening’s Finest Arrangement
Credit: @The_GumSurgeon via X
A simple yet striking evening configuration, where the sky offers a clean and minimalist visual harmony.
Silent Constellation
Credit: @inodey4u via X
A handheld phone shot reveals a visible constellation against the dark sky, showing how some stellar patterns can emerge even without professional equipment. The result is a simple, personal record of a fleeting night-sky alignment.
Moonset over the Jura
Credit: @PKoppenburg via X
Over the Jura range, the Moon dips toward the horizon as Venus holds steady in the twilight sky.
Breakthrough in the Clouds
Credit: @mars_stu via X
After a long wait, Venus and Jupiter finally emerge through the cloud cover. The two planets briefly break free, shining clearly against the unsettled sky.
Deep Sky Under City Lights
Credit: @Inoue_kou via X
From planetary conjunctions we now move into deep-sky territory, where faint structures replace bright nearby worlds. This processed image shows the North America Nebula captured from home, in a city where even 3rd magnitude stars are barely visible.
The Tulip Nebula
Credit: @MaaajidS via X
The Tulip Nebula is presented here in a long integration image, revealing its intricate structure and soft glowing edges.
STEVE over Manitoba
Credit: @FergiesPhotos via X
To end up this week’s collection, let’s return to Earth’s own upper atmosphere, where space weather paints its own subtle structures across the sky. This stunning image captures a confirmed sighting of STEVE above southern Manitoba.