Space Pics

"The NSSDC Photo Gallery is intended to fulfill two different purposes. The first of these is to provide access to some of the more popular NASA images available to the public. NSSDC fills hundreds of requests per year for thousands of photographs, but many of the same images are requested time and again. Many (if not most) of these are provided in the Photo Gallery.

The second purpose of the Photo Gallery is to provide examples of images produced from CD-ROM data. We get many questions about how to use the data on the CD-ROMs we distribute and some selected examples of the kind of manipulations which can be performed on them are available in the Photo Gallery.

The images presented in the Photo Gallery have a number of different sources, primarily NASA missions, however. They are generally organized by object and/or phenomenon on separate pages. The source of the image as well as the processing involved in producing the image have been included wherever possible. Photo captions for some images are also available."

"Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer."

" "Facts which at first seem improbable will, even on scant explanation, drop the cloak which has hidden them and stand forth in naked and simple beauty."
- Galileo, Discourses Concerning Two New Sciences (1638)

Nearly 400 years after Galileo first observed the heavens through a telescope, we continue to seek answers to age-old questions about the universe. And while the technology has evolved over the centuries, the inquiry remains essentially the same: What's out there, where did it come from, and what does it mean?

At the Space Telescope Science Institute, we're working hard to study and explain the once-unimaginable celestial phenomena now made visible using Hubble's cutting-edge technology. In the course of this exploration we will continue to share with you the grace and beauty of the universe, because the discoveries belong to all of us."

"The Spitzer Space Telescope (formerly SIRTF, the Space Infrared Telescope Facility) was launched into space by a Delta rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida on 25 August 2003. During its mission, Spitzer will obtain images and spectra by detecting the infrared energy, or heat, radiated by objects in space between wavelengths of 3 and 180 microns (1 micron is one-millionth of a meter). Most of this infrared radiation is blocked by the Earth's atmosphere and cannot be observed from the ground.

Consisting of a 0.85-meter telescope and three cryogenically-cooled science instruments, Spitzer is the largest infrared telescope ever launched into space. Its highly sensitive instruments give us a unique view of the Universe and allow us to peer into regions of space which are hidden from optical telescopes. Many areas of space are filled with vast, dense clouds of gas and dust which block our view. Infrared light, however can penetrate these clouds, allowing us to peer into regions of star formation, the centers of galaxies, and into newly forming planetary systems. Infrared also brings us information about the cooler objects in space, such as smaller stars which are too dim to be detected by their visible light, extrasolar planets, and giant molecular clouds. Also, many molecules in space, including organic molecules, have their unique signatures in the infrared."

"Since its launch on July 23, 1999, the Chandra X-ray Observatory has been NASA's flagship mission for X-ray astronomy, taking its place in the fleet of "Great Observatories." "

"Explore thousands of images and dozens of videos and print products created by the Cassini-Huygens mission team. Cassini multimedia can be viewed with a variety of free software available on the downloads page.

Unless otherwise noted, images on this site may be used for any purpose without prior permission. For a full explanation, read the JPL image policy."

"The Multimedia Gallery displays the best visual material of the ESA portal."

"The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) is an instrument on board the Mars Odyssey spacecraft. It combines a 5-wavelength visual imaging system with a 9-wavelength infrared imaging system.

The orbiter launched from Kennedy Space Center on April 7, 2001 and arrived at Mars on October 24, 2001. The orbiter spent the next several months achieving a circular mapping orbit by aerobraking (dipping into the atmosphere to slow and shrink the orbit). Aerobraking concluded in early February 2002, and primary mapping operations began a few weeks later.

Mars Odyssey carries three main science instruments: The Gamma Ray Spectrometer (GRS), the Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS), and the Mars Radiation Environment Experiment (MARIE)."

"Mars...the Red Planet.

Named after the Roman god of war (well, they got it from the Greeks), Mars captivates our imagination. Although it’s only one-quarter the size of Earth, it looms large in our minds, whether in the fabled mistranslation of the Italian word "canali" as canals, or the fertile imagination of H.G. Wells, Mars has intrigued, confused, and even frightened us.

Until now.

Launched in August 2005, the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) is flying onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) mission. HiRISE will investigate deposits and landforms resulting from geologic and climatic processes and assist in the evaluation of candidate landing sites."

"Malin Space Science Systems (MSSS) was established in 1990 to design, develop, operate, and conduct science investigations with instruments that fly on unmanned spacecraft. As of March 2006, MSSS has cameras on all 3 U.S. spacecraft presently operating in orbit around the planet Mars.

The initial focus of MSSS was on the development and operation of the Mars Observer Camera Ground Data System. After the loss of Mars Observer in August 1993, MSSS participated in studies aimed at recovering from the spacecraft loss, and was selected to provide the spare Mars Observer Camera for the re-flight mission, Mars Global Surveyor. At the same time, MSSS was developing a very small, modular camera system for future flight missions. That work culminated with the selection of MSSS to provide cameras for both the Mars Surveyor '98 Orbiter and Lander. Prior to the dual loss of '98 spacecraft, Mars Climate Orbiter (and the Mars Color Imager, MARCI) and the Mars Polar Lander (and the Mars Descent Imager, MARDI), MSSS was selected by Arizona State University to provide the Visible Imaging Subsystem of the THEMIS instrument aboard the Mars Odyssey 2001 orbiter, and by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) to provide a descent camera for the Mars Surveyor 2001 lander (subsequently canceled after the Polar Lander failure). The THEMIS instrument, operaed by ASU, has been in Mars orbit for over two years. The 2001 descent camera will fly on the Phoenix Mars Scout Mission in 2005. MSSS developed the Mars Color Imager (MARCI'05) and Context Camera (CTX) for the 2005 Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, which began orbiting Mars in March 2006. In December 2004, MSSS was selected to provide three camera systems (Descent, HandLens, and Mast) for the 2009 Mars Science Laboratory mission, and three cameras for the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (2008) mission, under contract to Northwestern University (Mark Robinson, Principal Investigator).

"Welcome to the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) Image Gallery! This gallery contains a collection of astronomical images taken with NRAO instruments, as well as photographs of NRAO telescopes and facilities. Browse through our collection of images, search the gallery for a particular object or image, or access our glossary of radio astronomy terms.

These images are available for personal use. If you wish to use these images for other purposes, please read the NRAO Image Use Policy."

"Welcome to the CfA's image gallery where you will find our collection of images. These photos feature astronomical objects as well as CfA instruments and researchers.

Browse through our images—by year or wavelength. You may also choose to view the artist's conceptions.

These images are available for educational purposes. If you wish t o use them, please read our Image Use Policy."

"The Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX), launched by a Pegasus rocket on April 28 2003, has been observing the sky using detectors sensitive to ultraviolet light. Click on the images below to see full size images, their interpretation and to download images in various formats."

"On October 1, 2003, the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS), the National Aerospace Laboratory of Japan (NAL) and the National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA) were merged into one independent administrative institution: the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). While space development and utilization, and aviation research and development are the measures to achieve the nation's policy objectives, our contribution to problem solving is also an important mission for us. JAXA hopes to succeed in its long-term vision to realize our own mission.

As a core organization for aerospace technology, JAXA will promote consistent activities, from basic research to technology development and utilization.

JAXA will also pursue the enormous possibilities in space and aviation, and challenge various research and development fields in the aim of "Sustainable Development" in order to contribute to peace and happiness for all mankind."

"After over three decades, we're finally getting ready to go back to the Moon.

To help you prepare, and to whet your appetite for exploration, we teamed up with scientists at the NASA Ames Research Center to bring you this collection of lunar maps and charts. This tool is an exciting new way to explore the story of the Apollo missions, still the only time mankind has set foot on another world."

"This map of Mars, published by Percival Lowell in 1895, was the result of many years spent carefully studying the Red Planet through his telescope. Now you can do the same through your web browser. In collaboration with NASA researchers at Arizona State University, we've created some of the most detailed scientific maps of Mars ever made.

If you have half as much fun exploring them as we did making them, you're in for a great time."

"Space photos, sound clips, online videos available for downloading, animations, online interactive and virtual reality programs, CDROMs, DVDs, and videotapes are all available from numerous sources on the web."