RIP Mariner 9. RIP Mars 2 & 3. RIP Viking 1 &2 (shall we go on?)

Next up: The Flower Moon on Saturday, May 21.

The days are getting longer here in the Northern hemisphere. But let's relive one of the perks of winter: The Northern Lights!

Adrian Brown sent in this incredible photo from the coast of the Isle of Wight, England. Those "shooting stars" you see are meteors, which streaked across the sky during the Eta Aquarids meteor shower last week. The stone structure in the foreground is a medieval lighthouse, constructed in 1314, which the photographer says locals call the "Pepperpot." Thanks, Adrian, for sending in this great image! Have a cool photo of a meteor shower? Send it to spacephotos at space dot com. For more images like this one, visit us here: http://buff.ly/1skMee4

Behold, the highest-ever spatial-resolution images of a Mercury transit. http://buff.ly/24WYqD3

Are you ready to #lookup? Here's how to get started:

Is it naive to think that we're the first intelligent (and tech-building) species the universe has ever known? http://buff.ly/23O6kZo

What a view, New Shepard. What a view.

Which telescope gives you the most bang for your buck?

Pull up a lawn chair and peruse this list, space fans.

There's still lots to see in May, skywatchers! This Sunday, May 15, watch the waxing gibbous moon pass just south of Jupiter at around 2 a.m. ET.

The best images from this week's #MercuryTransit are right here: