The sky on
your birthday.
“Leo Triplet Spiral Galaxy M65” is copyrighted by Anglo-Australian Telescope Board. NASA has permission to show it and we don't, so it isn't on this card.
See it on NASA's siteM65 is a spiral galaxy in the Leo Triplet, a lot like our own Milky Way. It's classified as an "Sa" type, meaning it has tightly wound spiral arms and a large central bulge. The stars in that central bulge are older and redder than the bluer, younger stars in the disk. This is a common feature in spiral galaxies throughout the local universe.
Callisto Mosaic
NASA released this picture on 12 August 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.
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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 12 August 2026 2026 Partial Solar Eclipse See it as a poster -
Released on 12 August 2026 A partial solar eclipse is pictured from the International Space Station See it as a poster -
Released on 12 August 2012 Spiral Galaxy NGC 4038 in Collision See it as a poster -
Released on 12 August 2013 Stars fleeing a cosmic crash See it as a poster -
Released on 12 August 2026 2026 Total Solar Eclipse See it as a poster
In tropical astrology, 12 AUG 1996 falls under Leo (♌). The sign's window runs from 07-23 through 08-22. Leo is anchored by Regulus, the heart of the Lion, twenty-four parsecs from Earth. The Sun was crossing this region of the sky on 12 AUG 1996.
Questions about August 12, 1996
What space photo was released on August 12, 1996?
NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day for August 12, 1996 was "Leo Triplet Spiral Galaxy M65". 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 August 12, 1996?
A waning crescent moon, about 4% lit.
What day of the week was August 12, 1996?
August 12, 1996 was a Monday, day 225 of the 366 days in 1996.
Was there a meteor shower on August 12, 1996?
Yes: the Perseid shower, peaks tomorrow.
Is it free?
Yes. Seeing, sharing and downloading the card is free, and there's no account to make.