From Code to Cosmos: How I Built a Personal Archive of 35,000+ NASA Images with Python

We’ve all looked up at the night sky and felt a sense of wonder. The universe is vast, beautiful, and full of mysteries that agencies like NASA work tirelessly to capture. But what if you could create your very own, personal collection of these celestial wonders? An archive that’s entirely yours, forever. That’s exactly the thought that inspired me to start a personal project I’m excited to share with you today.

I've built my own "Personal Cosmic Archive," a digital treasure chest of space, powered by a simple Python script.

The Spark of Inspiration

My fascination with space, planets, and galaxies is nothing new. I'd often find myself lost for hours on NASA's website, mesmerized by the images of nebulae, distant galaxies, and rovers on Mars. It was during one of these sessions that a thought struck me: what if this content disappears one day? What if NASA changes its API, or certain images are removed from the public domain? I didn't want to lose access to this incredible wealth of human discovery.

That’s when the idea for my "Personal Cosmic Archive" was born. I wanted a collection that I controlled, one that would be permanent and offline.

The Engine: Python and the NASA API

To turn this idea into reality, I turned to my favorite tool: Python. The entire process is automated by a script that works like this:

1. The List of Terms: I started by compiling a list of approximately 2,600 astronomical terms. This list includes everything from "Nebula," "Black Hole," and "Supernova" to "Mars Rover" and "Andromeda Galaxy."
2. The Python Script: I wrote a Python script that iterates through this list, one term at a time, and uses it to query NASA's public API.
3. The Download Process: Whenever the API returns a result—whether it's an image, a video, or related data—my script immediately downloads the file.

This script runs automatically in the background, constantly searching for new content and expanding my archive day by day.

Telegram: My Temporary Cloud Storage

The next big question was storage. Where do I keep all these files? High-resolution images and videos take up a lot of space, and I don't currently have an SSD large enough to store tens of thousands of them.

The solution came in a slightly unconventional form: Telegram.

I created a simple Telegram Bot that forwards every downloaded file to a private Telegram channel. This turned out to be a brilliant temporary solution for a few reasons:

• Telegram offers effectively unlimited cloud storage for free.
• I can access my entire cosmic archive from my phone, anywhere, anytime.
• It keeps my local PC storage free for other things.

As of today, this private channel holds more than 35,000 files, and that number is growing every single day! It's my personal, portable window into the universe.

LINK TO THE CHANNEL

The Future: A Permanent, Offline Home

While Telegram is a fantastic workaround, my ultimate goal is to make this archive truly permanent and offline. As soon as I get my hands on a large-capacity SSD (Solid State Drive), I plan to transfer all 35,000+ files from my Telegram channel to my personal computer.

The biggest advantage of this will be true ownership. This archive will be mine, forever. Even if the internet is down, or if NASA takes the content offline years from now, my personal corner of the cosmos will remain safe and accessible on my machine.

Conclusion

For me, this project is more than just code and data. It's a digital manifestation of my passion for space, my curiosity, and the desire to build something unique. It’s a testament to the power of Python and open-source APIs, which empower us to turn even our simplest ideas into tangible realities.

If you have a passion, whether it's for space, history, art, or anything else, I encourage you to turn it into a project. You never know what unique 'treasure' you might end up creating for yourself.