Space Photos of the Week: Florence, From Way Way Up Above

Even from 254 miles up, photos of hurricane Florence had to be shot in wide angle.

We’re bopping all over the great beyond this week, starting from the International Space Station, where astronauts imaged Hurricane Florence from 254 miles above Earth. Gliding over to the next planet, let us visit a unique set of dunes on Mars. The Hubble Space Telescope, for its part, goes for a wide shot of Saturn and its moons. The ringed planet sports its own massive storm, but unlike Florence, Saturn’s hexagon-shaped storm continues to be a scientific mystery. Both of these tempests do share something in common: Each looms above its respective atmosphere and is incredibly photogenic.

Once we leave Saturn, we check out a bizarre galaxy called AM 0644-741. Huge amounts of x-rays emanate from AM 0644-741, and scientists think they are caused by either several black holes or neutron stars—both are known for glowing strongly in the x-ray spectrum. After we magically survive this experience, we’ll have time for one more galaxy, NGC 4036. This lenticular galaxy is 70 million light years away and has captured the interest of astronomers because of the glowing haze of gas that surrounds it.

Having a great trip across time and space? Tour Wired’s full cosmic collection of space photos here.