50 Awe-Inspiring Reminders Of Just How Insignificant We Are

One billion stars

Source: Mike Read (WFAU), UKIDSS/GPS and VVV / via: ph.ed.ac.uk

New view of the blue marble

Source: nasa.gov

Furthest-ever image of the universe

Source: nasa.gov

9 billion pixels of the Milky Way galaxy

Source: eso.org

The view 50 million light years away

Source: Adam Block / via: skycenter.arizona.edu

Panorama of Mars

Source: 360cities.net

A not-so-dark “dark core”

Source: nasa.gov

A twister on Mars

Source: nasa.gov

Saturn storms

Source: apod.nasa.gov

European panorma at night from the International Space Station

Source: spaceflight.nasa.gov

The “UFO galaxy”

Source: nasa.gov

Groundhog day on Mars

Source: nasa.gov

The Moon and the Milky Way

Source: eso.org

Thor’s Helmet revisited

Source: eso.org

Enterprise flying over NYC

Source: nasa.gov

Janus, one of Saturn’s creepy moons

Source: nasa.gov

The Pencil nebula

Source: eso.org

Coronal hole on the Sun

Source: nasa.gov

The slow death of R Sculptoris

Source: eso.org

Transit of Venus

Source: Greg Scheiderer / via: seattleastronomy.com

Transit of Venus up close

Source: nasa.gov

A rocket launch over an aurora

Source: eos.unh.edu

Overlapping galaxies

Source: nasa.gov

The remains of supernova W44

Source: sci.esa.int

Orion over the Temple of Kukulkan

Source: Stéphane Guisard / via: astrosurf.com

Mars Rover Curiosity’s descent…

Source: photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov

…and the long, lonely trek

Source: nasa.gov

Stars forming in the Carina nebula

Source: eso.org

Space Shuttle Endeavor cruising through L.A.

Source: cpgaeronautics.com

Image by Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images

Solar eruptions

Source: gsfc

The birth of stars in 30 Doradus

Source: hubblesite.org

Perseid meteor shower

Source: Thomas O’Brien / via: tmophoto.com

Felix Baumgartner’s SpaceFall

Source: wallpaper.goodfon.com

Source: geek.com

Far away black holes

Source: farm9.staticflickr.com

Orion’s crazy clouds

Image by Josh Knutson

Aurora Australis (southern lights) from space

Image by NASA/Joe Acaba / AP

Spiral galaxies

Source: scitechdaily.com

Close-up of Saturn’s rings

Source: nasa.gov

Centaurus A galaxy

Source: ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO)

Hurricane Sandy from space

Source: goes.gsfc.nasa.gov

Source: nasa.gov

A cold fire in Orion’s belt

Source: eso.org

Electrical flashes seen from the International Space Station

Source: apod.nasa.gov

New views of Eagle nebula

Source: sci.esa.int

Phytoplankton blooms in the Atlantic

Source: esamultimedia.esa.int

Mars Rover Opportunity selfie

Source: nasa.gov

Gaseous ejections from U Camelopardalis

Source: spacetelescope.org

New views of Helix nebula

Source: eso.org

The best space photos of 2012, everyone.