CosmosObservatory
Explore
Solar System
Live
Learn
Tools
About
Cosmos Observatory
ToolsAbout
Cosmos Observatory

Explore the universe through NASA data, real-time ISS tracking, Mars rover imagery, asteroid monitoring, and comprehensive space encyclopedia. Your gateway to the cosmos.

Explore

  • APOD
  • Mars Rovers
  • Earth Imagery
  • NASA Gallery
  • ISS Tracker

Data

  • Asteroids
  • Solar System
  • Exoplanets
  • Space Weather
  • Launches

Tools

  • Glossary
  • News
  • Calculators

Legal

  • About
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Space Tools
  • Contact

Stay updated with the cosmos

Get weekly digests of APOD highlights, upcoming launches, and space events.

© 2026 Cosmos Observatory. All rights reserved. Built with for space enthusiasts.

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.

  1. Home
  2. /
  3. NASA Gallery

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 "OPTICS"

1,573 results found - Page 9 of 66

NASA image: Environmental Testing Next for Space FOSS
Image
Sep 10, 2020

Environmental Testing Next for Space FOSS

Bolts are torqued on a Compact Fiber Optic Sensing System unit, also known as a FOSS Rocket Box, which was developed...

AFRC
NASA image: Space Radar Image of Ubar Optical/Radar
Image
Apr 28, 1998

Space Radar Image of Ubar Optical/Radar

This pair of images from space shows a portion of the southern Empty Quarter of the Arabian Peninsula in the country...

JPL
NASA image: ExHAM-ODSEEP
Image
Aug 1, 2016

ExHAM-ODSEEP

jsc2020e039120 (5/29/2020) — An Enterprise Durable Optical Disc (Archival Disc). The Optical Disc Space Exposure...

JSC
NASA image: TangoLab Card Cube Removal
Image
Mar 31, 2022

TangoLab Card Cube Removal

iss067e000391 (3/31/2022) --- A Nona Cube containing Optical Imaging of Bubble Dynamics on Nanostructured Surfaces,...

JSC
NASA image: KSC-04-S-00357
Video
Nov 16, 2004

KSC-04-S-00357

NASA's unique mission Swift, developed to study gamma-ray bursts, is a study in successful international...

KSC
NASA image: NHQ20190502_AETC001
Video
May 2, 2019

NHQ20190502_AETC001

The Aerosciences Evaluation and Test Capabilities (AETC) Portfolio implemented the Capability Challenge “Optical...

HQ
NASA image: NASA WISE Cryostat
Image
Oct 13, 2009

NASA WISE Cryostat

Initial assembly of NASA Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer cryostat. The cryostat is a 2-stage solid hydrogen...

JPL
NASA image: Aerosols over Houston and Galveston Bay
Image
Jan 29, 2003

Aerosols over Houston and Galveston Bay

These views from NASA Terra spacecraft portray Houston and Galveston Bay on September 12, 2002, and display data...

JPL
NASA image: NuSTAR Russian Doll-like Mirrors
Image
May 30, 2012

NuSTAR Russian Doll-like Mirrors

NASA Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array, or NuSTAR, has a complex set of mirrors, or optics, that will help it...

JPL
NASA image: Reconditioning of Cassini Narrow-Angle Camera
Image
Jul 23, 2002

Reconditioning of Cassini Narrow-Angle Camera

These five images of single stars, taken at different times with the narrow-angle camera on NASA Cassini spacecraft,...

JPL
NASA image: NuSTAR Finds a Pulse in Cigar Galaxy
Image
Oct 8, 2014

NuSTAR Finds a Pulse in Cigar Galaxy

The bulk of a galaxy called Messier 82 M82, or the Cigar galaxy, is seen in visible-light data captured by the...

JPL
NASA image: NASA Spacecraft Captures 3-D View of Massive Australian Wildfire
Image
Feb 5, 2013

NASA Spacecraft Captures 3-D View of Massive Australian Wildfire

This 3-D view was created from data acquired Feb. 4, 2013 by NASA Terra spacecraft showing a massive wildfire which...

JPL
NASA image: OPALS Operations Team At Launch
Image
Aug 6, 2014

OPALS Operations Team At Launch

NASA Optical PAyload for Lasercomm Science OPALS operations team at Kennedy Space Center Space Launch Complex-40 on...

JPL
NASA image: Fingerprints in the Light
Image
Mar 1, 2005

Fingerprints in the Light

This spectrum shows the light from a dusty, distant galaxy located 11 billion light-years away. The galaxy is...

JPL
NASA image: Stellar Debris in the Large Magellanic Cloud
Image
Dec 8, 2006

Stellar Debris in the Large Magellanic Cloud

This is a composite image of N49, the brightest supernova remnant in optical light in the Large Magellanic Cloud;...

JPL
NASA image: The Infrared Hunter
Image
Aug 15, 2006

The Infrared Hunter

NASA Spitzer Space Telescope and the National Optical Astronomy Observatory compare infrared and visible views of...

JPL
NASA image: Icy Curtain Eruptions on Enceladus Create an Illusion of Discrete Jets Simulation
Image
May 6, 2015

Icy Curtain Eruptions on Enceladus Create an Illusion of Discrete Jets Simulation

This simulation, which begins and ends with a real image from NASA Cassini spacecraft, demonstrates how the...

JPL
NASA image: Panorama of Phoenix Solar Panel and Robotic Arm
Image
Jun 13, 2008

Panorama of Phoenix Solar Panel and Robotic Arm

This panorama image of NASA’s Phoenix Mars Lander’s solar panel and the lander’s Robotic Arm with a sample in the...

JPL
NASA image: Rosetta Target
Image
Mar 27, 2014

Rosetta Target

This image of comet 67P/Churymov-Gerasimenko was taken on March 21, 2014, by the narrow-angle camera of the Rosetta...

JPL
NASA image: Rosetta Images its Target
Image
Mar 27, 2014

Rosetta Images its Target

This image of comet 67P/Churymov-Gerasimenko was taken on March 20, 2014, by the wide-angle camera of the Rosetta...

JPL
NASA image: Artist Concept of NuSTAR
Image
Feb 18, 2012

Artist Concept of NuSTAR

This is an artist concept of NASA NuSTAR spacecraft which has a 10-meter mast that deploys after launch to separate...

JPL
NASA image: The Hidden Galaxy
Image
Jan 18, 2011

The Hidden Galaxy

Maffei 2 is the poster child for an infrared galaxy that is almost invisible to optical telescopes. But this...

JPL
NASA image: In Tune with Neptune
Image
Jul 27, 2010

In Tune with Neptune

NASA New Horizons Long Range Reconnaissance Imager LORRI observed Neptune on June 23, apl2010, as part of a test of...

JPL
NASA image: OPALS Stowed
Image
Aug 6, 2014

OPALS Stowed

This photo shows the Optical PAyload for Lasercomm Science OPALS stowed in the SpaceX Dragon trunk on April 22,...

JPL
PreviousPage 9 of 66Next

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

Upcoming rocket launches

Space News

Mission updates & discoveries