<p>This false-color image released in January reveals a supernova remnant about 20,000 light-years away from us in the northern constellation Sagitta, the arrow. The picture combines infrared and x-ray data captured by multiple space and ground-based telescopes.</p>

This false-color image released in January reveals a supernova remnant about 20,000 light-years away from us in the northern constellation Sagitta, the arrow. The picture combines infrared and x-ray data captured by multiple space and ground-based telescopes.

Photograph by NASA/JPL-Caltech/CXC/ESA/NRAO/J. Rho (SETI Institute)

See our favorite space pictures from 2019

Exploding stars, a gargantuan black hole, and a plethora of planets feature among our picks for the most amazing cosmic images of the year.

Feed your need for heavenly views of the universe with our picks of some of the most awe-inspiring space pictures from 2019.

This year saw many exciting accomplishments in space, from the exploration of distant worlds to the revelation of faraway stars and their explosive aftermaths. Closer to terra firma, astronauts and orbiting satellites captured stunning views of Earth from above, and rocket launches painted the skies with their glowing exhaust plumes.

Here are a few of our photo editors' favorite space images from the past 12 months—and here's to more celestial wonders to come in 2020.

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