Thanks to astronomy, we are now aware of the beauty, wonders and mysteries of space. International Astronomy Day, on May 14, marks the discoveries and achievements we've made in the field.
You can get even closer to astronomy by visiting your local planetarium, checking out any special Astronomy Day events in your area or even by enjoying a quiet night in the peace of your own backyard gazing up at the stars.
You can also find a lot of resources online about astronomy, as well as sites that feature some of the most beautiful and intimate photos taken of space. Instagram in particular hosts a variety of photos, some by astronauts who are in space right now and who wish to share the beauty of the stars with others.
Here are the best Instagram accounts to check out this International Astronomy Day.
NASA
Probably the most obvious account to follow on Instagram is NASA, which posts photos on a regular basis of many of its discoveries and images related to new discoveries. There's always something beautiful to see here, and you might just learn a little more about astronomy in the process.
ESA
NASA isn't the only agency busy exploring the far reaches of our galaxy. The European Space Agency (ESA) also has a lot of active missions and often shares photos from those. Perhaps one of the more recent spectacular photos was the first taken from Sentinel-1B.
ISS
The best photos of Earth don't actually happen on Earth: if you really want to see the beauty of our green and blue planet, check out the Instagram account of the International Space Station (ISS). Not only that, but you can also get a sneak peek into what life is like for the astronauts onboard the station.
The @SpaceX Dragon cargo craft completed its mission at the International Space Station today. Astronauts Tim Peake (@astro_timpeake) and Jeff Williams (@astro_jeffw) were at the robotics controls and released Dragon from the Canadarm2 at 9:19 a.m. EDT/1:19 p.m. UTC. Dragon splashed down in the Pacific Ocean loaded with more than 3,700 pounds of cargo and science samples for return to @NASA. #nasa #international #space #station #canada #canadarm2 #internationalspacestation #spacestation #spacex #dragon #outofthisworld #outerspace #orbit #astronaut #cosmonaut A video posted by International Space Station (@iss) on May 11, 2016 at 1:05pm PDT
Tim Peake
Tim Peake is the first British astronaut to step foot on the ISS, and while he’s there, he’s posting photos directly from his point of view while residing in space. His adventures offer a fresh take on life on the ISS, as well as illustrate just how small our planet is from way up there.
The busy port of Antwerp. #Antwerpen #belgium @stad_antwerpen A photo posted by Tim Peake (@astro_timpeake) on May 13, 2016 at 9:47am PDT
Christina Hammock Koch
Have you ever wondered what it’s like preparing to become an astronaut and taking the first steps that eventually lead to space missions? NASA astronaut Christina Hammock Koch posts photos detailing her training in hopes of encouraging future astronauts with dreams of visiting the stars.
Space plumber! 2 yrs ago, we start our @iss systems training. Don't want to miss this lesson. #astronautcandidateTBT A photo posted by Christina Hammock Koch (@astro_christina) on May 5, 2016 at 8:24pm PDT
