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This website is not affiliated with, maintained, authorized, endorsed by, or in any way officially connected with NASA or any of its subsidiaries or affiliates. All NASA imagery is in the public domain unless otherwise noted. Data sourced from NASA Open APIs, Launch Library 2, and other open data services.

NASA Gallery

Explore NASA's vast collection of space images, videos, and audio from missions past and present.

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NASA's Image and Video Library: A Visual Archive of Space Exploration

NASA's Image and Video Library is one of the most comprehensive public archives of space imagery in the world, containing over 140,000 images, videos, and audio recordings spanning more than six decades of space exploration. From the earliest Mercury and Gemini missions through the Apollo Moon landings, the Space Shuttle era, and today's cutting-edge observations from the James Webb Space Telescope, this collection documents humanity's journey into the cosmos.

The library includes imagery from diverse sources: telescopes like Hubble and Webb that capture deep-space nebulae, galaxies, and exoplanets; planetary missions like the Mars rovers ( browse Mars photos) and Cassini at Saturn; Earth observation satellites ( see EPIC imagery); astronaut photography from the ISS; and documentation of rocket launches, spacecraft assembly, and ground testing. Most NASA images are in the public domain and free to download at full resolution for educational, editorial, and personal use.

Use the search bar above to find specific subjects — try queries like "Apollo 11," "Hubble Deep Field," "Mars surface," or "astronaut EVA." You can also filter by media type (image, video, or audio). For a daily curated experience, visit the Astronomy Picture of the Day.

Showing results for "First Light"

1,121 results found - Page 2 of 47

NASA image: SWOT Satellite's Sea Level 'First Light'
Image
Mar 24, 2023

SWOT Satellite's Sea Level 'First Light'

This visualization shows sea surface height measurements in the Gulf Stream off the coast of North Carolina and...

JPL
NASA image: The Rite of Spring
Image
Sep 21, 2009

The Rite of Spring

This Saturn equinox, captured here in a mosaic of light and dark, is the first witnessed up close by an emissary...

JPL
NASA image: Ganymede Color Global
Image
Aug 3, 1998

Ganymede Color Global

Natural color view of Ganymede from NASA Galileo spacecraft during its first encounter with the satellite. The dark...

JPL
NASA image: GALEX 1st Light Compilation
Image
May 28, 2003

GALEX 1st Light Compilation

This compilation shows the constellation Hercules, as imaged on May 21 and 22, 2003, by NASA Galaxy Evolution...

JPL
NASA image: GALEX 1st Light Near Ultraviolet -50
Image
May 28, 2003

GALEX 1st Light Near Ultraviolet -50

This image was taken May 21 and 22, 2003, by NASA Galaxy Evolution Explorer. The image was made from data gathered...

JPL
NASA image: First-of-Its-Kind Glimpse at a Super Earth Artist Animation
Image
May 8, 2012

First-of-Its-Kind Glimpse at a Super Earth Artist Animation

This artist concept shows how NASA Spitzer Space Telescope was able to detect a super Earth direct light for the...

JPL
NASA image: The Making of a Giant Galaxy
Image
May 22, 2013

The Making of a Giant Galaxy

ESA Herschel Space Observatory first spotted the colliding duo in images taken with longer-wavelength infrared light...

JPL
NASA image: Magnetic Map of Milky Way
Image
May 6, 2014

Magnetic Map of Milky Way

The magnetic field of our Milky Way galaxy as seen by ESA Planck satellite. This image was compiled from the first...

JPL
NASA image: GALEX 1st Light Near Ultraviolet
Image
May 28, 2003

GALEX 1st Light Near Ultraviolet

This image was taken on May 21 and 22, 2003, by NASA Galaxy Evolution Explorer. The image was made from data...

JPL
NASA image: First MESSENGER Spectrum of Mercury
Image
Jan 22, 2008

First MESSENGER Spectrum of Mercury

During its flyby of Mercury, on January 14, 2008 NASA MESSENGER spacecraft acquired the first high-resolution...

JPL
NASA image: Phoenix Lidar Operation Animation
Image
May 29, 2008

Phoenix Lidar Operation Animation

This image from NASA Phoenix Mars Lander of the Canadian-built meteorological station lidar, which was successfully...

JPL
NASA image: Detector Suspended in Free Space
Image
Mar 17, 2014

Detector Suspended in Free Space

This image shows one of the NASA detectors from the BICEP2 project, developed in collaboration with the NSF. The...

JPL
NASA image: GALEX 1st Light Near and Far Ultraviolet -100
Image
May 28, 2003

GALEX 1st Light Near and Far Ultraviolet -100

NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer took this image on May 21 and 22, 2003. The image was made from data gathered by...

NASA image: 2010-4709
Image
Sep 20, 2010

2010-4709

STS-133 Discovery Rollout - first motion to out of lights

KSC
NASA image: 2010-4710
Image
Sep 20, 2010

2010-4710

STS-133 Discovery Rollout - first motion to out of lights

KSC
NASA image: 2010-4707
Image
Sep 20, 2010

2010-4707

STS-133 Discovery Rollout - first motion to out of lights

KSC
NASA image: 2010-4708
Image
Sep 20, 2010

2010-4708

STS-133 Discovery Rollout - first motion to out of lights

KSC
NASA image: 2010-4706
Image
Sep 20, 2010

2010-4706

STS-133 Discovery Rollout - first motion to out of lights

KSC
NASA image: Super Earth Reveals Itself to Spitzer Artist Animation
Image
May 8, 2012

Super Earth Reveals Itself to Spitzer Artist Animation

This artist concept depicts 55 Cancri e as it orbits its star. NASA Spitzer Space Telescope has, for the first time,...

JPL
NASA image: Galactic Wheels within Wheels
Image
May 16, 2013

Galactic Wheels within Wheels

How many rings do you see in this new image of galaxy Messier 94, also known as NGC 4736? At first glance one might...

JPL
NASA image: Mercury South Pole
Image
Oct 8, 1999

Mercury South Pole

After passing Mercury the first time and making a trip around the Sun, NASA Mariner 10 again flew by Mercury on...

JPL
NASA image: Amazon Canopy Comes to Life through Laser Data
Video
Jun 12, 2018

Amazon Canopy Comes to Life through Laser Data

Flying over the Brazilian Amazon with an instrument firing 300,000 laser pulses per second, NASA scientists have...

GSFC
NASA image: Galaxy Packs Big Star-Making Punch
Image
Apr 23, 2013

Galaxy Packs Big Star-Making Punch

The tiny red spot in this image is one of the most efficient star-making galaxies ever observed, converting gas into...

JPL
NASA image: GALEX 1st Light Far Ultraviolet
Image
May 28, 2003

GALEX 1st Light Far Ultraviolet

This image was taken May 21 and 22, 2003 by NASA Galaxy Evolution Explorer. The image was made from data gathered by...

JPL
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Frequently Asked Questions About NASA Images

Are NASA images free to use?+
Yes, most NASA images are in the public domain and are free to use for educational, informational, and personal purposes. NASA's media usage guidelines state that NASA material is not copyrighted unless otherwise noted. However, the NASA logo and certain insignia are protected. Some images may include identifiable individuals or third-party content that requires additional permissions. Always check the specific image's usage rights and credit NASA as the source.
How many images does NASA have?+
NASA's Image and Video Library contains over 140,000 publicly accessible images, videos, and audio files spanning the agency's entire history, from the Mercury program of the 1960s to the latest James Webb Space Telescope discoveries. The collection grows daily as new missions capture imagery and archival materials are digitized. Individual mission archives, such as Mars rover photos, contain hundreds of thousands of additional images.
Can I download NASA images?+
Yes, you can download NASA images in multiple resolutions directly from this gallery. Each image detail page provides download links for original (full resolution), large (1920px), medium (960px), small (480px), and thumbnail sizes. NASA encourages the public to use these images for education, media, and personal projects. High-resolution originals are ideal for printing and professional use.

Explore More NASA Content

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Daily curated space image

Mars Rover Photos

Curiosity & Perseverance images

Earth from Space

DSCOVR EPIC daily images

Launch Schedule

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Space News

Mission updates & discoveries