Astrophotography presents unique challenges; after all, an artist can't adjust or move the cosmos. But when it's done well, it can offer a breathtaking journey through space. Follow the gallery to see the best excerpts from Capturing the Stars: Astrophotography by the Masters, by Robert Gendler. The book features the work of 35 of the world's best astrophotographers, from 14 countries.

This immense cloud of gas and dust known as the Bubble Nebula is ten light-years, or 60 trillion miles, in diameter. The bubble consists of material cast off from a star that burns several hundred thousand times brighter than the sun. It is located about 11,000 light-years away, in the constellation Cassiopeia.