If you’ve ever seemed up into the evening sky and seen a bedazzlement of stars, you recognize awe: the uncommon second that bewilderment feels good. The scale of the universe and big variety of the objects inside it by no means fail to encourage amazement.

This yr, we received to see some of these objects in newfound decision and vibrance. State-of-the-art applied sciences—particularly the just lately launched Webb Space Telescope—have revolutionized our view of the cosmos and allowed scientists to see farther again in time, at a few of the faintest mild within the universe.

Here are a few of the photos that captured our consideration in 2022.