Conditions of Media Use

Users of the Palomar Observatory website acknowledge and agree to the following Conditions of Use:

The images, video, and data in this website are protected by copyright and may be covered by other restrictions as well. Palomar Observatory and the California Institute of Technology retain all rights, including copyright, in data, images, audiovisuals, software, documentation, text, and other information contained in these files. Copyright and other proprietary rights may be held by individuals or entities other than, or in addition to, the Observatory.

Copying or redistribution in any manner for commercial use, including commercial publication or for personal gain, without prior permission, is strictly prohibited. All requests for commercial licensing should be directed to Steve Flanders, Outreach and Event Coordinator, at sbf [at] astro.caltech.edu.

The images, video, and data in the Palomar Observatory website are provided for non-commercial, educational, and personal use or for fair use as defined in the United States copyright laws, subject to any additional terms or restrictions which may be applicable to the individual image. By downloading, printing, or otherwise using content files from this website, users agree and warrant that they will limit their use of such materials to personal, educational, or fair use and will comply with all other terms and conditions of this license, and will not violate the rights of Palomar Observatory or any other person or entity.

Non-commercial users may download these files for their own use provided that they comply with the following conditions:

• Cite the source of the content as they would material from any printed work. Unless otherwise stated, images/multimedia should include the credit line Palomar Observatory/California Institute of Technology;
• None of the content may be altered or modified without written permission from the Observatory;
• Users must comply with all other terms or restrictions which may be applicable to the individual file, image, or text as noted.

Responsibility for obtaining a release for commercial use of images/multimedia is the responsibility of the licensee not the Observatory.

This fair-use permission does not extend to use of the Palomar Observatory logo and the Caltech seal. These images may not be used by persons who are not Caltech/Palomar employees or on products (including web pages) that are not Caltech/Palomar-sponsored.

Palomar Observatory may at any time revise these Conditions of Use by updating this page. You are bound by any such revisions and should therefore periodically visit this page to review the then-current Conditions of Use.

Frequently Asked Questions

May I copy unaltered individual images, animations, or video to include in my term paper, presentation, or website?

Yes, if it for educational or non-commercial use. Images/multimedia should include the credit line Palomar Observatory/California Institute of Technology unless otherwise stated in the file's metadata or its caption. It is your responsibility to investigate additional conditions and/or obtain permission to use images/multimedia not credited exclusively to Palomar Observatory and the California Institute of Technology.

How do I download an image from the Palomar website for educational or non-commercial use?

Most images in this section have a download button () in the caption area under the thumbnail. Depending on your web browser, clicking the button will open a "save as" window, or open the image on another tab. In the latter case, right-click on the image to save locally.

For images not credited exclusively to Palomar Observatory/Caltech, we recommend following the link provided in the credit to its original source.

How do I obtain permission to use a photograph in a publication or on a commercial website?

If you want to include images from this website in a publication or other commercial use, you need to obtain permission in advance. Permission for use is granted on a case-by-case basis. Inquiries concerning the commercial reuse of images from the Palomar Observatory collection should be directed to sbf [at] astro.caltech.edu.