Let There Be LightA composite image of elliptical galaxy Cygnus A jumps off the page like a Rorschach test in Technicolor. X-rays blaze in blue, radio signals radiate in red, and visible light twinkles in yellow.

NASA released the picture in celebration of the 2015 International Year of Light and Light-Based Technologies. Proclaimed by the United Nations, this year will celebrate the ways in which this form of energy improves our lives.—By Jane J. Lee, photo gallery by Sherry L. Brukbacher

Photograph by NASA, Chandra X-ray Observatory Center/SAO/STScI/NSF/NRAO/AUI/VLA

Week's Best Space Pictures: Stars Wheel, a Balloon Hoists, and a Storm Churns

Stars careen across the Himalaya, scientists search for an afterglow, and a cyclone kicks up a fuss in this week's best space pictures.

January 25, 2015