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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 "Galaxy Formation"

217 results found - Page 2 of 10

NASA image: Galaxy NGC 55
Image
Dec 10, 2003

Galaxy NGC 55

This image of the nearby edge-on spiral galaxy NGC 55 was taken by Galaxy Evolution Explorer on September 14, 2003,...

JPL
NASA image: Galaxy NGC 247
Image
Dec 10, 2003

Galaxy NGC 247

This image of the dwarf spiral galaxy NGC 247 was taken by Galaxy Evolution Explorer on October 13, 2003, in a...

JPL
NASA image: KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Orbital Sciences’ L-1011 aircraft takes off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station carrying the Pegasus XL rocket/Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) under its belly. Release of the Pegasus was scheduled for about 8 a.m. over the Atlantic Ocean at an altitude of 39,000 feet at a location approximately 100 nautical miles offshore east-northeast of Cape Canaveral. Spacecraft separation from the Pegasus occurs 11 minutes later. At that time the satellite will be in a circular orbit of 431 statute miles (690 km) at a 29-degree inclination. The GALEX will carry into space an orbiting telescope that will observe a million galaxies across 10 billion years of cosmic history to help astronomers determine when the stars and elements we see today had their origins. The spacecraft will sweep the skies for 28 months using state-of-the-art ultraviolet detectors to single out galaxies dominated by young, hot, short-lived stars that give off a great deal of energy at that wavelength. These galaxies are actively creating stars, and therefore provide a window into the history and causes of star formation in galaxies.
Image
Apr 28, 2003

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Orbital Sciences’ L-1011 aircraft takes off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station carrying the Pegasus XL rocket/Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) under its belly. Release of the Pegasus was scheduled for about 8 a.m. over the Atlantic Ocean at an altitude of 39,000 feet at a location approximately 100 nautical miles offshore east-northeast of Cape Canaveral. Spacecraft separation from the Pegasus occurs 11 minutes later. At that time the satellite will be in a circular orbit of 431 statute miles (690 km) at a 29-degree inclination. The GALEX will carry into space an orbiting telescope that will observe a million galaxies across 10 billion years of cosmic history to help astronomers determine when the stars and elements we see today had their origins. The spacecraft will sweep the skies for 28 months using state-of-the-art ultraviolet detectors to single out galaxies dominated by young, hot, short-lived stars that give off a great deal of energy at that wavelength. These galaxies are actively creating stars, and therefore provide a window into the history and causes of star formation in galaxies.

NASA image: Galaxy M101
Image
Jul 25, 2003

Galaxy M101

This three-color image of galaxy M101 was taken by NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer on June 20, 2003. The far...

JPL
NASA image: Hubble Gets a Celestial Boost
Image
Feb 8, 2019

Hubble Gets a Celestial Boost

The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope doesn’t usually get much assistance from its celestial subjects — but to take...

GSFC
NASA image: Hubble Uncovers a Mysterious Hermit
Image
Dec 8, 2017

Hubble Uncovers a Mysterious Hermit

This irregular dwarf galaxy's closes neighbor is 2.3 million light years away, so yeah, we're calling it...

GSFC
NASA image: Space Science
Image
Jan 1, 2004

Space Science

Released to commemorate the 14th anniversary of NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope (HST) is the image of a galaxy...

MSFC
NASA image: A young elliptical
Image
Nov 16, 2015

A young elliptical

At the centre of this amazing image is the elliptical galaxy NGC 3610. Surrounding the galaxy are a wealth of other...

GSFC
NASA image: The Topsy-Turvy Galaxy NGC 1313*
Image
Nov 23, 2006

The Topsy-Turvy Galaxy NGC 1313*

The central parts of the starburst galaxy NGC 1313. The very active state of this galaxy is evident from the image,...

GSFC
NASA image: Hubble Looks in on a Galactic Nursery
Image
Dec 8, 2017

Hubble Looks in on a Galactic Nursery

This dramatic image shows the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope’s view of dwarf galaxy known as NGC 1140, which lies...

GSFC
NASA image: A galactic nursery
Image
Jul 20, 2015

A galactic nursery

This dramatic image shows the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope’s view of dwarf galaxy known as NGC 1140, which lies...

GSFC
NASA image: NASA Galaxy Mission Celebrates Sixth Anniversary
Image
Apr 28, 2009

NASA Galaxy Mission Celebrates Sixth Anniversary

NASA Galaxy Evolution Explorer Mission celebrates its sixth anniversary studying galaxies beyond our Milky Way...

JPL
NASA image: Hubble Spots a Secluded Starburst Galaxy
Image
Dec 8, 2017

Hubble Spots a Secluded Starburst Galaxy

This image was taken by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope’s Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) and shows a...

GSFC
NASA image: Hiding in the night sky
Image
Apr 4, 2016

Hiding in the night sky

This striking NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image captures the galaxy UGC 477, located just over 110 million...

GSFC
NASA image: A distinctly disorganised dwarf
Image
Mar 28, 2016

A distinctly disorganised dwarf

Despite being less famous than their elliptical and spiral galactic cousins, irregular dwarf galaxies, such as the...

GSFC
NASA image: Hubble's Cosmic Atlas
Image
Dec 8, 2017

Hubble's Cosmic Atlas

Morphologies, masses, and structures - oh, my! This beautiful clump of glowing gas, dark dust and glittering stars...

GSFC
NASA image: Cosmic Origins Spectrograph: Large Scale Structure of the Universe
Video
May 20, 2008

Cosmic Origins Spectrograph: Large Scale Structure of the Universe

The Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS) instrument will be placed in the Hubble Space Telescope during Service Mission...

GSFC
NASA image: The beautiful side of IC 335
Image
Dec 8, 2017

The beautiful side of IC 335

Hubble sees a galaxy 60 million light-years away This new NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image shows the galaxy IC...

GSFC
NASA image: Messier 101 Single Orbit Exposure
Image
Jul 25, 2003

Messier 101 Single Orbit Exposure

This single orbit exposure, ultraviolet color image of Messier 101 was taken by NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer on...

JPL
NASA image: KSC-03pd1238
Image
Apr 24, 2003

KSC-03pd1238

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The mated Pegasus XL and Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) satellite arrive at Cape...

KSC
NASA image: KSC-03pd0740
Image
Mar 13, 2003

KSC-03pd0740

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Multi-Payload Processing Facility, NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer is prepared...

KSC
NASA image: KSC-03pd1243
Image
Apr 24, 2003

KSC-03pd1243

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, workers prepare to attach the mated Pegasus XL and...

KSC
NASA image: KSC-03pd1240
Image
Apr 24, 2003

KSC-03pd1240

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the early morning light, the mated Pegasus XL and Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX)...

KSC
Image
Apr 28, 2003

KSC-03pd1282

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Orbital Sciences' L-1011 aircraft waits for...

KSC
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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

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Space News

Mission updates & discoveries

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Orbital Sciences’ L-1011 aircraft takes off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station...

KSC