The previous year proved to be significant for space exploration.
Astronomy enthusiasts throughout the United States experienced a total solar eclipse, SpaceX successfully captured a massive rocket in mid-air with a set of chopstick-like arms, and telescopes both terrestrial and orbital provided us with visuals of the cosmos that have transformed our comprehension of the universe.
Want to relive the remarkable year in space? Continue scrolling to witness some of the most unforgettable moments from 2024.
Starlinks flashing ISS
In November, NASA astronaut Don Pettit released this image, commenting, “Starlink satellites resemble a small-scale version of the monolith from ‘2001: A Space Odyssey,’ with the large flat surface of the monolith directed towards Earth and the solar panel extending outward like the fin of a dimetrodon.”
Over the past year, SpaceX has deployed hundreds of its Starlink satellites, and in a post on X, Pettit elaborates on the various streaks captured in the image. “In comparison to the sharp streaks from star trails, this long exposure presents erratic streaks from the flashing ISS. These are Starlink satellites reflecting sunlight off their solar panels during twilight. They are only visible from 5 to 18 degrees before or after sunset. They generate bright flashes that may only last for a few seconds, influenced by the angle of their solar panels facing outward.”
Read more: SpaceX Starlink satellites observed as ‘erratic streaks’ by ISS astronaut (photos)
Galactic masquerade glares its eyes on Halloween
Resembling a mask concealing two cosmic eyes gazing unceasingly into the void, these two spiral galaxies grazed each other several million years ago, captivating our imaginations last Halloween.
This image’s fiery glare evokes eyes swirling in their galactic arms, combining mixed-spectrum captures from the James Webb Space Telescope for mid-infrared light and the Hubble Space Telescope for visible and ultraviolet light. On the left, IC 2163 passes just behind NGC 2207 on the right.
The ATLAS anti-tail
Earth was fortunate enough to witness comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) in October, observable by millions with the naked eye.
This close-up image of the comet was captured by astrophotographer Miguel Claro from the Dark Sky Alqueva reserve in Portugal on October 13, 2024, when the comet displayed remarkable brightness and details, including a unique ‘anti-tail.’
Read more: Astrophotographer captures comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS forming an anti-tail (photos)
Tsuchinshan-ATLAS from our own backyard
Although it remained in our sky for just a few weeks, Tsuchinshan-ATLAS had already begun to dim by the end of October. This photograph was taken in Bloomington, Indiana, at a farm named Whippoorwill Hill, where the comet appeared roughly half an hour after sunset before quickly disappearing behind the barn captured in the image.
Super Heavy tower catch
The moment we all held our breath for.
In mid-October, SpaceX launched its 400-foot tall (122 meters) Starship vehicle for the fifth time, propelling the massive rocket from its Starbase site in South Texas.
In a historic first, SpaceX’s Super Heavy managed to execute what appeared to be a perfect landing, hovering near its Mechazilla launch tower as its metallic “chopstick” arms grasped it in mid-air. This was an event you had to witness to believe.
Read more: SpaceX catches massive Starship booster with ‘Chopsticks’ during landmark Flight 5 rocket launch and landing (video)
Northern Lights brighten the heavens above the U.S.
2024 marked a significant year for the aurora borealis!
Descending to heights seldom reached by the northern lights, vigorous outbursts of plasma from the sun throughout 2024 painted Earth’s defense magnetic field with numerous stunning displays. We are currently undergoing a phase of solar maximum, an 11-year cycle of solar activity. It is probable that we will witness even more of these occurrences in 2025.
Hurricane Milton hovers over the VAB
October and September were also challenging months for many, as hurricanes wrought destruction across various regions of the United States. This image depicts Hurricane Milton as the storm advanced towards NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC).
While the Space Coast did not endure as substantial storm surges and wind speeds as cities like Tampa or Sarasota, KSC remained on high alert, raising its base status to HURCON 1 — limiting access to the center to only essential personnel.
Pink Running Chicken
Additional astrophotography from 2024 featured this remarkable image from the European Southern Observatory (ESO). Gaze deeply into the vibrant pink patterns of this gas cloud in the Running Chicken Nebula. The stellar nursery, IC2948, comprises merely a small segment of its larger nebula but harbors countless stars in their nascent stages of existence. This image was processed from a 1.5-billion-pixel image captured by the VLT Survey Telescope (VST).
As per ESO, this section of cosmic space occupies approximately one-third the size of a full moon, while the entire Running Chicken Nebula extends about 25 full moons across.
The inaugural commercial spacewalk
It was a momentous occasion. As the sun emerged over the eastern segment of the United States, miles above, in Earth’s orbit, Jared Isaacman and the Polaris Dawn crew accomplished the first-ever commercial spacewalk.
Taking turns exiting their Crew Dragon spacecraft, Isaacman, the Polaris Dawn mission commander, and Sarah Gillis, mission specialist, alternated in testing the mobility and effectiveness of SpaceX’s new extravehicular activity (EVA) spacesuits. Pictured here, Isaacman floats in the open hatch of Dragon, grasping the specially-designed Skywalker mobility aide while gazing at the Earth below.
Read more: SpaceX Polaris Dawn astronauts achieve historic 1st private spacewalk in orbit (video)
A Milky Way wonder over Stonehenge
Photographer Josh Dury captured this stunning view of this year’s Perseid meteor shower above Stonehenge, U.K.
Dury noted that the image is a composite of 43 sub-images capturing the meteors over three and a half hours. “Celestial fireworks revealing the connection through time. The ancient remnants of Comet Swift-Tuttle; formed at the early dawn of our solar system. Observed from the ancient palace — tracking the movements of celestial entities. A significant narrative through the vastness of time and enigma,” Dury conveyed to Space.com via email.
Read more: Rare sight of northern lights and Perseid meteor shower captivates skywatchers globally (photos, video)
Hubble observes a dying star
This star, Eta Carinae, is predicted to explode at some point soon. Perhaps.
The star might still have an additional million years ahead. However, due to the mass of Eta Carinae, when it eventually detonates, it will likely result in a supernova event. The star, one of the most substantial in the Milky Way, is also large enough to result in a black hole upon its demise.
The Hubble Space Telescope has been observing Eta Carinae for the past twenty-five years, anticipating its inevitable death throes.
Related: Watch a 180-year-old star eruption unfold in a new time-lapse movie
(video)
Atlas V conducts its final Space Force operation
United Launch Alliance’s (ULA) esteemed Atlas V rocket successfully completed its final national security operation during the summer. The Atlas V took off from Florida’s Canaveral Space Force Station on July 30, executing a confidential mission for the U.S. Space Force designated USSF-51.
This marked the final national security space launch (NSSL) for a member of the Atlas rocket lineage, which has been operational since 1957. At this juncture, ULA has initiated the transition of its national security initiatives to the company’s new Vulcan rocket.
Learn more: Atlas V rocket executes its final national security mission for the U.S. military (video)
The Claws of the Crab Nebula
A recent mosaic of the Crab Nebula captured by the powerful James Webb Space Telescope was unveiled in June. The image delineates the “claws” of the crab with fresh, breathtaking clarity. This representation unveiled intricate cage-like formations within the nebula, produced by numerous dust particles, especially evident as fluffy magenta material in the upper right and lower left sections.
Starliner spotted docked at the International Space Station
The intriguing saga of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft and its return to Earth absent of its astronaut crew has been thoroughly documented since its launch in June. NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams traveled aboard Starliner to the International Space Station (ISS), where they currently remain, with plans to stay until 2025.
While the spacecraft was still connected to the ISS, Maxar Technologies’ WorldView-3 satellite zoomed in to capture the vehicles in orbit together above Earth. In addition to the Starliner capsule, nearly all the ISS modules were clearly visible along with the station’s newly upgraded solar panels.
Highlighting their imaging capabilities, Maxar Technologies shared this remarkable photograph in a social media post on June 13, stating, “this form of imagery collection, termed non-Earth imaging (NEI), is a revolutionary capability that empowers Maxar to facilitate critical space domain awareness missions for government and commercial entities.”
Spectral view of a nascent sun
Another treasure from the Hubble Space Telescope is this image depicting the young star, HP Tau.
At merely 10 million years of age, HP Tau stands as the youngest of its neighboring stars, situated approximately 550 light-years from Earth in the Taurus constellation. Similar to a youthful version of our own sun, HP Tau appears at the top of a trio of sparkling stars in this Hubble visual. These stars radiate from within a hollow void in a massive cloud of gas and dust, its dense swirls illuminating in vivid blues, akin to a flashlight piercing through the mist.
Related: Mesmerizing new Hubble Telescope image showcases a young star’s brilliance
Yet another stunning JWST image
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) impressed observers by capturing exceptionally clear images of the Horsehead Nebula in April, one of the most recognizable celestial entities visible from Earth.
JWST managed to reveal features of the Horsehead Nebula, also referred to as Barnard 33, that had never been exposed before, highlighting certain regions in a wholly fresh perspective. The latest visuals depict the Horsehead Nebula as chaotic waves of gas emerging from the western section of Orion B, a star-generating molecular cloud located 1,300 light-years from Earth in the Orion constellation.
Totality!
April was a significant month for North America, as a total solar eclipse traversed a corridor stretching over Mexico, the United States, and Canada.
This eclipse was among the most viewed eclipses in history. While all of North America and Central America experienced a partial solar eclipse, only those situated in the path of totality — a corridor approximately 115 miles (185 kilometers) wide and 10,000 miles long (16,000 kilometers) — observed the moon entirely cover the sun.
Stunning photographs of the eclipse were secured along the path, including this one by astrophotographer Miguel Claro, who penned a detailed exploration of how such a captivating solar eclipse photo was achieved.
Eclipse Across America
On April 8, 2024, during the total solar eclipse, the path of totality traversed four states in Mexico (Sinaloa, Nayarit, Durango, and Coahuila) before passing over 15 states in the U.S. (Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine) and seven Canadian provinces (Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland).
Displayed above is the charming downtown area of Bloomington, Indiana, beneath a sequence of the sun and moon transitioning into and out of totality. Such scenes were witnessed in hundreds of small towns and cities as this extraordinary celestial phenomenon drifted across the sky.
About yesterday…
My favorite photo from the eclipse, if I may say so, is this one I captured during totality. This shot was taken as the sun’s rays emerged from behind the moon to create a “diamond ring” appearance.
In that split second, I seized the opportunity to unveil a diamond ring of my own and proposed to my partner. She responded with, “Yes!” Unsurprisingly, some truly remarkable moments were recorded during the total solar eclipse of 2024.
Our galactic center
In 2024, astronomers also unveiled the first visualization of polarized light and magnetic fields enveloping Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*), the supermassive black hole situated in the center of our Milky Way galaxy.
This groundbreaking observation was conducted using the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT), which revealed magnetic field similarities to those surrounding the supermassive black hole located at the core of the M87 galaxy.
SpaceX’s Starship Soars on Flight 3
In March 2024, SpaceX achieved the spectacular third test flight of its Starship megarocket. The 400-foot titan ascended above the southernmost tip of Texas as onlookers cheered from nearby beaches, boats, and rooftops.
SpaceX carried out four Starship launches in 2024 and has numerous additional launches planned for the coming year. The rocket enterprise aims to execute at least 25 launches of Starship next year after requesting the Federal Aviation Administration to approve an increase in the rocket’s launch rate.
Star nursery tendrils
Another miraculous image from the JWST in 2024 was this photograph, captured with the telescope’s NIRcam instrument. It illustrates a near-infrared perspective of a star-producing region known as NGC 604, located in the Triangulum galaxy 2.7 million light-years from our planet. The image showcases arms of gas and dust that harbor over 200 of the hottest and most massive stars.
A last look at Ingenuity
NASA’s Ingenuity was officially grounded after its final flight on January 18 of this year. However, this little Mars copter exceeded its mission parameters and the expectations of its operators by a significant margin.
Surpassing the mission’s initial five flights, Ingenuity executed a total of 72 flights on the red planet before finally concluding its operation. This photograph was captured by NASA’s Perseverance rover as the Martian explorer moved out of Ingenuity’s range.
Though no longer in service, Ingenuity accomplished the first powered flight of an aircraft on a planet other than Earth, igniting further plans for helicopter drones to be dispatched to Mars. Recently, NASA disclosed that Ingenuity had “one final gift” to offer. The grounded copter will serve as a weather monitoring station, documenting telemetry, capturing images, and storing them onboard.
Stage separation to the moon!
The fiery rift in the deep, dark blue of the night sky depicted in this photograph captured by Trevor Mahlman in February represents a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, immortalized during the moments of stage separation as the primary booster reenters Earth and the second stage propels forward into space.
This launch took place early on February 15, lifting off from Pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The payload consisted of Intuitive Machines’ “Odysseus” Nova-C moon lander, which made history as the first commercial mission to land on the lunar surface.
There you have it. Twenty-four captivating space images for 2024. The upcoming year looks promising for further discoveries, space exploration, celestial observation, and astrophotography. Thus, as always, keep gazing upwards.
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