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NASA Images Of The Week, Jan 13 (PHOTOS)

WOW: Top NASA Images This Week
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Editorial Assistant, HuffPost Science

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From faraway planets, to exploding stars, to twisting, colorful galaxies, NASA's space images often look more like works of art than scientific research.

This week, the Agency has come out with some pretty incredible shots. The elusive Jellyfish Nebula with its dangling 'tentacles,' the Flaming Star Nebula with its massive smoke trails, and a close-up view of one of Saturn's icy moons are all among the most incredible space images this week.

Check out the slideshow below to see some of NASA's best space photos.

NASA Images Of The Week
Orion Nebula(01 of07)
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This infrared close-up of the Orion Nebula shows dense hot gas clouds (in blue) released during the formation of a star, and trailed by yellow cone-shaped jets of hydrogen gas. The image was captured by the Gemini South telescope in Chile. (credit:GeMS/GSAOI Team, Gemini Observatory, AURA )
Jellyfish Nebula(02 of07)
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The Jellyfish Nebula is seen here in red left of center, dangling its "tentacles." Part of the larger supernova remnant IC 443, the nebula is roughly 5,000 light years from Earth. (credit:Dieter Willasch, Astro-Cabinet)
Grand Spiral Galaxy(03 of07)
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This face-on view of the galaxy NGC 7424 with its winding arms shows the bright clusters of many young stars being formed. The galaxy is about 40 million light-years away in the constellation Grus. (credit:SSRO-South (S. Mazlin, J. Harvey, D. Verschatse, R. Gilbert) & Kevin Ivarsen (UNC/CTIO/PROMPT))
Flaming Star Nebula(04 of07)
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The star AE Aurigae (bright blue in the center), also called the flaming star, is surrounded by the Flaming Star Nebula. The 'smoke' is mostly interstellar hydrogen, but the nebula does contain smoke-like dark filaments of carbon-rich dust grains. (credit:Martin Pugh)
Dark Tower In Scorpius(05 of07)
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This cometary globule in the constellation Scorpius, extending from the lower right to the left above center, is shaped by intense ultraviolet radiation from very hot stars. For some, it evokes the image of an ominous dark tower. (credit:Don Goldman)
Icy Helene(06 of07)
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One of Saturn's small, icy moons, Helene, is is seen here in a photo constructed from two Cassini photos. The images were captured during a close flyby in 2011. (credit:Cassini Imaging Team, ISS, JPL, ESA, NASA; Stereo Image by Roberto Beltramini)
Fornax Cluster(07 of07)
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The Fornax cluster, named for the southern constellation in which most of its galaxies can be found, is still evolving. The image was taken from Warrumbungle Observatory in Australia. (credit:Marco Lorenzi)

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