NASA has chosen a number of stunning images of what it considers the best pictures of 2016.
From explosions and rocket launches to priests giving their blessing to space lovers, the collection of photographs give an insight into life as an astronaut.
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Expedition 46 Commander Scott Kelly of NASA is helped out of the Soyuz TMA-18M spacecraft just minutes after he and Russian cosmonauts Mikhail Kornienko and Sergey Volkov of Roscosmos landed in a remote area near the town of Zhezkazgan, KazakhstanCredit: Cover Images
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The Soyuz MS-01 spacecraft launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome with Expedition 48-49 crew members Kate Rubins of NASA, Anatoly Ivanishin of Roscosmos and Takuya Onishi of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) onboardCredit: Cover Images
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NASA astronaut Jeff Williams, left, Russian cosmonaut Alexey Ovchinin of Roscosmos, centre, and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Skripochka of Roscosmos are seen inside the Soyuz TMA-20M spacecraftCredit: Cover Images
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An Orthodox Priest blesses members of the media after he blessed the Soyuz rocket at the Baikonur Cosmodrome Launch padCredit: Cover Images
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Former astronaut and U.S. Senator John Glenn lies in repose, under a United States Marine honor guard, in the Rotunda of the Ohio Statehouse in ColumbusCredit: Cover Images
The images range from explosive testing for the new Space Launch System’s booster to a poignant aerial image of astronaut John Glenn's coffin.
Other pictures include a long exposure photograph of Soyuz TMA-20M spacecraft ready to launch, the International Space Station transiting across the Sun, and Expedition 46 Commander Scott Kelly's return from a record 365 days in space.
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This composite image, made from ten frames, shows the International Space Station, with a crew of six onboard, in silhouette as it transits the sun at roughly five miles per secondCredit: Cover Images
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The Soyuz MS-01 spacecraft launches from the Baikonur CosmodromeCredit: Cover Images
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A meteor streaks across the sky during the annual Perseid meteor shower as a photographer wipes moisture from the camera lensesCredit: Cover Images
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The International Space Station is seen in this 11-second exposure as it passes over the US Marine Corps War MemorialCredit: Cover Images
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Leading Suit Engineer Ivan F. Kruchkov pictured at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre (GCTC) in RussiaCredit: Cover Images
One picture in particular shows an Orthodox Priest blesses members of the media after he blessed the Soyuz rocket at the Baikonur Cosmodrome Launch pad on Wednesday, July 6, 2016 in Kazakhstan.
Another shows
the International Space Station seen during an 11-second exposure as it passes over the US Marine Corps War Memorial in the US on Wednesday February 17 2016.
The Soyuz TMA-19M spacecraft is seen as it lands with Expedition 47 crew members Tim Kopra of NASA, Tim Peake of the European Space Agency, and Yuri Malenchenko of Roscosmos near the town of Zhezkazgan, KazakhstanCredit: Cover Images
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The Soyuz MS-01 spacecraft is rolled out by train to the launch pad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, KazakhstanCredit: Cover Images
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The second and final qualification motor (QM-2) test for the Space Launch System’s boosterCredit: Cover Images
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NASA astronaut Anne McClain poses for a photograph at an art installation called "The Park People Series"Credit: Cover Images
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Former NASA astronaut Scott Kelly speaks during an event at the United States Capitol Visitor Centre in WashingtonCredit: Cover Images
One photo shows NASA astronaut Anne McClain poses for a photograph at an art installation called "The Park People Series" by artist Nathan Sawaya during the South by South Lawn White House on Monday October 3 2016 on the south lawn of the White House in Washington.
The event brought together creators, innovators, and organisers who work day in and day out to improve the lives of their fellow Americans and people around the world.
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