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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 "Messier objects"

20 results found

NASA image: Hubble Spies Spectacular Sombrero
Image
May 5, 2005

Hubble Spies Spectacular Sombrero

Lying at the southern edge of the rich Virgo cluster of galaxies, Messier 104, also called the Sombrero galaxy, is...

JPL
NASA image: M 101: The Pinwheel Galaxy
Image
Jul 21, 2011

M 101: The Pinwheel Galaxy

A large spiral galaxy dominates this view from NASA Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer. The galaxy, often called...

JPL
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: A galactic maelstrom
Image
Aug 31, 2015

A galactic maelstrom

This new NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope shows Messier 96, a spiral galaxy just over 35 million light-years away in...

GSFC
NASA image: Hubble Peers into the Heart of a Galactic Maelstrom
Image
Dec 8, 2017

Hubble Peers into the Heart of a Galactic Maelstrom

This NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image shows Messier 96, a spiral galaxy just over 35 million light-years away...

GSFC
NASA image: A galactic sunflower
Image
Sep 7, 2015

A galactic sunflower

The arrangement of the spiral arms in the galaxy Messier 63, seen here in a new image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space...

GSFC
NASA image: Space Science
Image
Dec 1, 1978

Space Science

The Andromeda Galaxy, also known as M31 since it is the 31st object on Messier's list of diffuse sky objects, is the...

MSFC
NASA image: Hubble Sees a Galactic Sunflower
Image
Dec 8, 2017

Hubble Sees a Galactic Sunflower

The arrangement of the spiral arms in the galaxy Messier 63, seen here in an image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space...

GSFC
NASA image: Spitzer Spies Spectacular Sombrero
Image
May 4, 2005

Spitzer Spies Spectacular Sombrero

NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope set its infrared eyes on one of the most famous objects in the sky, Messier 104, also...

JPL
NASA image: Hubble Views a Dwarf Galaxy
Image
Dec 8, 2017

Hubble Views a Dwarf Galaxy

The constellation of Ursa Major (The Great Bear) is home to Messier 101, the Pinwheel Galaxy. Messier 101 is one of...

GSFC
NASA image: What's Up: April 2025 Skywatching Tips from NASA
Video
Apr 1, 2025

What's Up: April 2025 Skywatching Tips from NASA

What are some skywatching highlights in April 2025? Following a planet-free morning sky in March, April brings...

JPL
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 reveals heart of Lagoon Nebula
Image
Dec 8, 2017

Hubble reveals heart of Lagoon Nebula

Image release date September 22, 2010 To view a video of this image go here: www.flickr.com/photos/gsfc/5014452203...

GSFC
NASA image: Hubble Peers at a Distinctly Disorganized Dwarf Galaxy
Image
Dec 8, 2017

Hubble Peers at a Distinctly Disorganized Dwarf Galaxy

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

GSFC
NASA image: History of Hubble Space Telescope (HST)
Image
Jun 9, 2006

History of Hubble Space Telescope (HST)

In the 19th century, astronomer V. M. Slipher first discovered a hat-like object that appeared to be rushing away...

MSFC
NASA image: Pillars of Creation Revealed in 3-D
Image
Dec 8, 2017

Pillars of Creation Revealed in 3-D

This video clip shows a visualisation of the three-dimensional structure of the Pillars of Creation within the star...

GSFC
NASA image: A Whirlpool 'Warhol' Shows Galaxy in Different Light
Image
Jun 26, 2019

A Whirlpool 'Warhol' Shows Galaxy in Different Light

These four panels show the Whirlpool galaxy — which is actually a pair of galaxies also known as Messier 51 and NGC...

JPL
NASA image: History of Hubble Space Telescope (HST)
Image
Jun 9, 2003

History of Hubble Space Telescope (HST)

The razor sharp eye of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) easily resolves the Sombrero galaxy, Messier 104 (M104)....

MSFC
NASA image: Stormy seas in Sagittarius
Image
Dec 8, 2017

Stormy seas in Sagittarius

Some of the most breathtaking views in the Universe are created by nebulae — hot, glowing clouds of gas. This new...

GSFC
NASA image: Hubble Sees a Silver Needle in the Sky
Image
Dec 8, 2017

Hubble Sees a Silver Needle in the Sky

This stunning new image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope shows part of the sky in the constellation of Canes...

GSFC

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.

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