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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 "Measuring Light"

681 results found - Page 1 of 29

NASA image: Measuring Light
Image
Dec 8, 2017

Measuring Light

On July 13, 2011, Don Perovich, of Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory, measured the light that drives...

GSFC
NASA image: How to Measure the Size of an Asteroid
Image
Jun 19, 2014

How to Measure the Size of an Asteroid

Observations of infrared light from NASA Spitzer Space Telescope coming from asteroids provide a better estimate of...

JPL
NASA image: AFRC2016-0332-04
Image
Nov 2, 2016

AFRC2016-0332-04

The Fly’s Eye Geostationary Lightning Mapper Simulator will map lightning strikes using 30 photometers, instruments...

AFRC
NASA image: Tunable Laser Spectrometer on NASA Curiosity Mars Rover
Image
Dec 16, 2014

Tunable Laser Spectrometer on NASA Curiosity Mars Rover

By measuring absorption of light at specific wavelengths, Tunable Laser Spectrometer TLS onboard NASA Curiosity...

JPL
NASA image: Two Models of Black Hole Spin Artist Concept
Image
Feb 27, 2013

Two Models of Black Hole Spin Artist Concept

Scientists measure the spin rates of supermassive black holes by spreading the X-ray light into different colors....

JPL
NASA image: Indication of Hydration in Veins and Nodules of Knorr in Yellowknife Bay
Image
Mar 18, 2013

Indication of Hydration in Veins and Nodules of Knorr in Yellowknife Bay

At different locations on the surface of the same rock, scientists can use the Mast Camera Mastcam on NASA Mars...

JPL
NASA image: First Stars or Stray Stars? A Cosmic Infrared Mystery
Image
Nov 6, 2014

First Stars or Stray Stars? A Cosmic Infrared Mystery

Our sky is filled with a diffuse background glow, known as the cosmic infrared background. Much of the light is from...

JPL
NASA image: Masking Out Galaxies
Image
Nov 6, 2014

Masking Out Galaxies

This graphic illustrates how the Cosmic Infrared Background Experiment, or CIBER, team measures a diffuse glow of...

JPL
NASA image: Background Light Bluer Than Expected
Image
Nov 6, 2014

Background Light Bluer Than Expected

This plot shows data from the Cosmic Infrared Background Experiment, or CIBER, rockets launched in 2010 and 2012....

JPL
NASA image: The Universe Comes into Sharper Focus
Image
Mar 21, 2013

The Universe Comes into Sharper Focus

This graphic illustrates the evolution of satellites designed to measure ancient light leftover from the big bang...

JPL
NASA image: Light from Red-Hot Planet
Image
Jan 28, 2009

Light from Red-Hot Planet

This figure charts 30 hours of observations taken by NASA Spitzer Space Telescope of a strongly irradiated exoplanet...

JPL
NASA image: GEDI Media Resources: B-Roll
Video
Oct 9, 2018

GEDI Media Resources: B-Roll

GEDI is a full-waveform lidar instrument that makes detailed measurements of the 3D structure of the Earth’s...

GSFC
NASA image: OCI Optical Lens Installation
Image
Jul 19, 2021

OCI Optical Lens Installation

An Ocean Color Instrument (OCI) optical lens is installed into the flight housing hardware for alignment...

GSFC
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: OCI Main Optics Bench with Collimator Slit Assembly Installed
Image
Aug 18, 2021

OCI Main Optics Bench with Collimator Slit Assembly Installed

The Ocean Color Instrument (OCI) Main Optics Bench (MOB) is integrated with the Collimator Slit Assembly (CSA). The...

GSFC
NASA image: OCI Optical Alignment Measurements
Image
Nov 17, 2022

OCI Optical Alignment Measurements

Optical engineer, Maurice Stancil, performs final optical alignment metrology measurements prior to the Ocean Color...

GSFC
NASA image: OCI Optical Measurements
Image
May 10, 2022

OCI Optical Measurements

Optical technician, Timothy Madison, uses a theodolite to perform optical measurements on the Ocean Color Instrument...

GSFC
NASA image: Echo Mapping in a Black Hole Accretion Disk and Torus (Animation)
Image
Oct 1, 2020

Echo Mapping in a Black Hole Accretion Disk and Torus (Animation)

This animation shows the events that serve as the basis of an astrophysics technique called "echo mapping," also...

JPL
NASA image: OCI Optical Module Integration on Transportation Dolly
Image
Mar 28, 2022

OCI Optical Module Integration on Transportation Dolly

The Ocean Color Instrument (OCI) is installed on its transportation dolly and prepared for additional integration...

GSFC
NASA image: OCI Crane Lift onto the Tilt Mechanism
Image
Nov 12, 2022

OCI Crane Lift onto the Tilt Mechanism

Mechanical technicians crane lift the Ocean Color Instrument (OCI) onto the Tilt Mechanism. OCI is a highly advanced...

GSFC
NASA image: OCI Crane Lift off the Multi-Purpose Ground Support Fixture
Image
Nov 12, 2022

OCI Crane Lift off the Multi-Purpose Ground Support Fixture

Mechanical technicians crane lift the Ocean Color Instrument (OCI) off of the transportation dolly. OCI is a highly...

GSFC
NASA image: OCI Installed to PACE Spacecraft
Image
Nov 21, 2022

OCI Installed to PACE Spacecraft

The Ocean Color Instrument (OCI) is installed on the Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE) observatory...

GSFC
NASA image: OCI Stray Light Testing
Image
Jun 2, 2022

OCI Stray Light Testing

Systems engineer, Joseph Knuble, adjusts the intensity of a lamp during stray light testing on the Ocean Color...

GSFC
NASA image: Methane Signal From Carbon Mapper Instrument Test
Image
Sep 14, 2023

Methane Signal From Carbon Mapper Instrument Test

This spectral "fingerprint" of methane was produced from data taken during a September 2023 test at NASA's Jet...

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