Majestic spiral arms of a remote galaxy shimmer from the combined light of 50 billion stars. The ethereal curtains of the aurora borealis ripple across the night sky. Vast clouds of gas and dust, 10,000 times wider than the solar system, pervade the galaxy. Captured by the cameras of talented amateur astronomers and by the world's most powerful research telescopes, the universe's impressive wonders are presented in ASTRONOMY 2012 in brilliant high-resolution color. This 12-image collection was compiled by stargazing authority Terence Dickinson, author of NightWatch. He brings a wealth of practical experience to the calendar's diary of predicted celestial events, which range from meteor showers to eclipses.