Month in space: Feb. 2016
The month of February brought some unbelievably exciting discoveries in the study of space, and with it even more out of this world images. Most notably, scientists detected a "chirp" from gravitational waves produced by a collision between two black holes. Hypothesized by physicist Albert Einstein a century ago, this is a landmark discovery opening a whole new window for those studying the cosmos.
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Astronomers unveiled a huge, gorgeous new image of the Milky Way this month in an incredibly detailed side view of the galaxy in all its glory, including nebulas where stars are being born and a rare sight of the crowded galactic center.
February also marks the last month NASA Astronaut Scott Kelly will spend on the International Space Station as his year-long mission comes to an end on March 1. Kelly shared some of his last space images on social media these past weeks while counting down to his return to Earth.
Click through the gallery above to see the most impressive space photos from the past four weeks, and be sure to check back next month for our March selection of stunning cosmic photography.
More from AOL.com:
Month in space: Jan. 2016
After 40 years, NASA declassifies 'outer space music' heard by astronauts on Apollo 10
Branson's Virgin Galactic unveils new passenger spaceship
NASA says 1 of Pluto's moons may have had ancient ocean
