California GlowCity lights shine through the clouds in an astronaut's view of southern California and Mexico's Baja California snapped from the International Space Station (ISS) in August.Earlier this month an unmanned Russian spacecraft bound for the ISS failed shortly after launch, prompting mission managers to postpone the next scheduled human trips to the orbital laboratory until the cause of the crash can be determined and addressed.The crew currently on board will stay longer than planned, and partner space agencies are now debating whether to completely abandon ship when it's time to bring the astronauts home.
Photograph courtesy NASA

Space Pictures This Week: Sun Halo, Saturn Crater, More

Star jets in Orion, a ring around the sun, a black hole pair, and a "titanic" crater feature among the week's best space pictures.

Published September 3, 2011