The sky on
your birthday.
“The Milky Way Near the Southern Cross” is copyrighted by Greg Bock, Courtesy Southern Astronomical Society. NASA has permission to show it and we don't, so it isn't on this card.
See it on NASA's siteThis view of the Southern Cross, or Crux, and the Milky Way is visible from Earth's south pole. The four stars of the Southern Cross are just above and right of the center, with the orange star Gamma Crucis at the top. The dark Coal Sack Nebula is in the very center of the photograph.
Galaxy NGC 1365
ESA/Hubble released this picture on 9 May 1996. That is the day it was published, not the day it was taken.
We cannot put this date's photograph on paper at poster size. We can print the nearest public archive plate to your date instead.
See print sizesPrinted, shipped and sold by Zazzle
Released on your day
Space pictures released on your month and day in other years, or a few days either side. Each one is sharp enough to print as a poster.
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Released on 3 May 2011 Globular Cluster M15 from Hubble See it as a poster -
Released on 3 May 2021 Apollo 11: Earth, Moon, Spaceship See it as a poster -
Released on 3 May 2026 Trifid Pillars and Jets See it as a poster -
Released on 3 May 2010 Spiral Galaxy NGC 3190 Almost Sideways See it as a poster -
Released on 3 May 2013 Horsehead: A Wider View See it as a poster
In tropical astrology, 3 MAY 1996 falls under Taurus (♉). The sign's window runs from 04-20 through 05-20. Taurus holds the Pleiades star cluster and Aldebaran, the red giant that marks the eye of the Bull. The Sun was crossing this region of the sky on 3 MAY 1996.
Questions about May 3, 1996
What space photo was released on May 3, 1996?
NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day for May 3, 1996 was "The Milky Way Near the Southern Cross". It's a photographer's copyrighted image, so we link to it on NASA's site and show the Sun or the Earth that day instead.
What was the Moon's phase on May 3, 1996?
A full moon, about 100% lit.
What day of the week was May 3, 1996?
May 3, 1996 was a Friday, day 124 of the 366 days in 1996.
Was there a meteor shower on May 3, 1996?
Yes: the Eta Aquariid shower, peaks in 3 days.
Is it free?
Yes. Seeing, sharing and downloading the card is free, and there's no account to make.