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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 1 of 10

NASA image: Galaxies Grow from Inside Out
Image
Oct 31, 2013

Galaxies Grow from Inside Out

Evidence from NASA Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer and Galaxy Evolution Explorer missions provide support for...

JPL
NASA image: The Action-Packed Centaurus A
Image
Apr 4, 2012

The Action-Packed Centaurus A

This parallelogram shaped region of dust observed by ESA Herschel Space telescope can be best described using galaxy...

JPL
NASA image: NGC 300
Image
Nov 14, 2007

NGC 300

This image from NASA Galaxy Evolution Explorer shows the galaxy NGC 300, located about seven million light-years...

JPL
NASA image: An Unwelcome Place for New Stars artist concept
Image
Aug 23, 2006

An Unwelcome Place for New Stars artist concept

This artist concept depicts a supermassive black hole at the center of a galaxy. NASA Galaxy Evolution Explorer...

JPL
NASA image: A Star-Formation Laboratory
Image
Dec 8, 2017

A Star-Formation Laboratory

The dwarf galaxy NGC 4214 is ablaze with young stars and gas clouds. Located around 10 million light-years away in...

GSFC
NASA image: Cosmic Swirly Straws Feed Galaxy
Image
May 24, 2013

Cosmic Swirly Straws Feed Galaxy

Created with the help of supercomputers, this frame from a simulation shows the formation of a massive galaxy during...

JPL
NASA image: Southern Pinwheel Galaxy M83
Image
May 5, 2005

Southern Pinwheel Galaxy M83

Ultraviolet images such as this one from NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer suggest the M83 has unusual pockets of...

JPL
NASA image: Big Black Holes Mean Bad News for Stars diagram
Image
Aug 23, 2006

Big Black Holes Mean Bad News for Stars diagram

This diagram illustrates research from NASA Galaxy Evolution Explorer showing that black holes once they reach a...

JPL
NASA image: Galaxy M82
Image
Dec 2, 1999

Galaxy M82

A colorful image showing violent star formation triggered when two galaxies bumped into each other has been captured...

JPL
NASA image: Shrouded Starburst
Image
Nov 19, 2010

Shrouded Starburst

A brilliant burst of star formation is revealed in this image combining observations from NASA Spitzer and Hubble...

JPL
NASA image: GLIMPSE the Galaxy All the Way Around
Image
Mar 20, 2014

GLIMPSE the Galaxy All the Way Around

This mosaic reveals a panorama of the Milky Way from NASA Spitzer Space Telescope. This picture covers only about...

JPL
NASA image: A Dwarf Galaxy Star Bar and Dusty Wing
Image
Jan 10, 2012

A Dwarf Galaxy Star Bar and Dusty Wing

In combined data from ESA Herschel and NASA Spitzer telescopes, irregular distribution of dust in the Small...

JPL
NASA image: Stephan Quintet and NGC 7331
Image
Dec 10, 2003

Stephan Quintet and NGC 7331

Galaxy Evolution Explorer observation of Stephan's Quintet and the nearby galaxy NGC 7331. Blue represents far...

JPL
NASA image: Evolution in slow motion
Image
Sep 14, 2015

Evolution in slow motion

It is known today that merging galaxies play a large role in the evolution of galaxies and the formation of...

GSFC
NASA image: A mysterious hermit
Image
Jun 6, 2016

A mysterious hermit

The drizzle of stars scattered across this image forms a galaxy known as UGC 4879. UGC 4879 is an irregular dwarf...

GSFC
NASA image: Galaxy Messier 51
Image
Jul 25, 2003

Galaxy Messier 51

NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer took this image of the spiral galaxy Messier 51 on June 19 and 20, 2003. Messier 51...

JPL
NASA image: Galaxy NGC5398
Image
Jul 25, 2003

Galaxy NGC5398

This is an ultraviolet color image of the galaxy NGC5398 taken by NASA Galaxy Evolution Explorer on June 7, 2003....

JPL
NASA image: An intriguing young-looking dwarf galaxy
Image
Mar 16, 2015

An intriguing young-looking dwarf galaxy

The bright streak of glowing gas and stars in this NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image is known as PGC 51017, or...

GSFC
NASA image: WISE Eyes Evolution of Massive Stars
Image
Apr 8, 2011

WISE Eyes Evolution of Massive Stars

In the Perseus spiral arm of the Milky Way galaxy, opposite the galactic center, lies the nebula SH 2-235. As seen...

JPL
NASA image: Stars Spring up Out of the Darkness  Artist Concept
Image
Dec 18, 2006

Stars Spring up Out of the Darkness Artist Concept

This artist animation illustrates the universe early years, from its explosive formation to its dark ages to its...

JPL
NASA image: Galaxy NGC5474
Image
Jul 25, 2003

Galaxy NGC5474

NASA Galaxy Evolution Explorer took this ultraviolet color image of the galaxy NGC5474 on June 7, 2003. NGC5474 is...

JPL
NASA image: 20 Years of Hubble Science: Exoplanets
Video
Jul 22, 2010

20 Years of Hubble Science: Exoplanets

This video series focuses on two areas of science that the Hubble Space Telescope has helped advance: thee formation...

GSFC
NASA image: History of Chandra X-Ray Observatory
Image
Jan 22, 2003

History of Chandra X-Ray Observatory

This Chandra X-ray observatory image of M83 shows numerous point-like neutron stars and black hole x-ray sources...

MSFC
NASA image: Hubble Eyes Galactic Refurbishment
Image
Apr 30, 2015

Hubble Eyes Galactic Refurbishment

The smudge of stars at the center of this NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image is a galaxy known as UGC 5797. UGC...

GSFC
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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

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Mission updates & discoveries