Image Gallery
See it for yourself, then know what you see.
Planets, nebulae, galaxies and the sky above us — every image with a plain caption, its scale, who took it, and how you may reuse it.
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Using our images
Each image has its own licence. Check the panel beside the image before you reuse it, and always give the credit shown.
Give credit
Copy the credit line exactly as shown.
Check the licence
Some images allow any use; others are for non-commercial use only.
No logos
Agency logos and mission badges are not included and may not be reused.
Frequently asked questions
- Each image has its own licence shown in the detail panel. Many NASA images are in the public domain under NASA's media usage guidelines. ESA images are typically licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO. Always check the specific licence and give the credit shown.
- Many space images are captured in non-visible wavelengths (X-ray, infrared, radio). Scientists map these to visible colours so we can interpret the data. For example, hydrogen-alpha emission is mapped to red. This is called representative colour (or false colour) and is noted on each image. HubbleSite explains the use of colour in space images.
- Primary archives include NASA Image and Video Library, ESO Image Archive, and HubbleSite Image Archive. These offer full-resolution downloads with usage information.
- Instrument details are listed in each image's detail panel. Iconic sources include the Hubble Space Telescope, the James Webb Space Telescope and the ESO Very Large Telescope.