question about data used in a program

[<fbrian@nac.net>]

A program that I would like to package is licensed under the GPL.
The program uses data (star catalogs) to create pictures of the night sky.
The data comes from a NASA site.(http://adc.gsfc.nasa.gov/adc.html)
The program itself does not need the data to build( or it can be fixed to
do so), but when you run the program with out star data the program does
not do a lot.(as you might guess)
Nasa says there data is in the public domain.

quote from them...
" Our data are public domain.

  Use of ADC data in writing software should be acknowledged by reference
  to the  original authors and publication and to the ADC. The acknowledgment
  might read:

  This software uses data provided by Mark/Mary Astronomer in AJ, 115,
  1998 as  distributed by the Astronomical Data Center at NASA Goddard Space Flight
  Center. "


Currently the program collects this data from the NASA site at build time.
This is going to be changed.

Should/can the data be packaged as a seperate package with it being a
dependency with the program.  Can the data be released in debian main?
Another possibility the author said he would do is have the program collect
this data (star catalogs) from the Nasa site at run time.

Are there any legal issues that would prevent this from being put into the
debian archive?  Any advice that would help make this program compliant is
greatlty appreciated.