Image Copyrights

We care about the ownership rights of the images we offer to you.

All low res web NASA images on this site may be downloaded from your browser and used for non-commercial purposes at no charge. You also may purchase and obtain a license from us for high and ultra high resolution images by selecting "Digital Image File" options and on the Add to Cart drop downs. Call +1 (408) 695-3275 for questions.

Sky Image Lab asserts a derivative copyright on enhancements to all images on this site obtained from Public Domain sources like NASA, ESO, Chandra, Hubble, Spitzer, etc.

Images sold here in the "Imagers' Gallery" section may not be used for any purpose without permission from the specific imager. We can provide contact information for these imagers.

Most image data on this site are retrieved from Public Domain sources and are therefore free of copyright assertions. NASA and other public agencies that fund and run observatories do not usually assert copyright in their imagery, and therefore, permission to reproduce is not required if attributed correctly. We have tried to credit each image accordingly. Where copyrights have been asserted, Sky Image Lab has obtained permission to distribute their images.

Hubble material credited to STScI on this site was created, authored, and/or prepared for NASA under Contract NAS5-26555. Unless otherwise specifically stated, no claim to copyright is being asserted by STScI and the images may be freely used as in the public domain in accordance with NASA's contract.

Most NASA images are released under a Creative Common License (CC BY 2.0). For NASA images, you are free to:
    Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format
    Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material
The licensor cannot revoke these freedoms as long as you follow the license terms.

See NASA Copyright Notification here.

See a 2008 letter from the Hubble Space Science Institute stating that Hubble Images are in the Public Domain in reference to the above notice.

When images from private observatories or astro photographers are offered, Sky Image Lab has obtained the legal right to reproduce and market these images, and the rights' holders are compensated.

We believe that all images on our site are correctly offered. If you think otherwise, and have any questions about intellectual property issues connected with our site, we definitely want to know hear from you.