The sky on
your birthday.
“The Milky Way Through the Summer Triangle” is copyrighted by Andy Steere. NASA has permission to show it and we don't, so it isn't on this card.
See it on NASA's siteOur Milky Way Galaxy appears as a faint, wispy band of light across the night sky, a combined glow from countless stars. In the Northern Hemisphere during summer, away from city lights, part of the Milky Way is visible behind the Summer Triangle. This asterism is formed by the bright stars Deneb, Vega, and Altair, which appear from left to right in this photograph.
Gas and dust in comet Hale Bopp
ESO released this picture on 23 December 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 12 December 2022 Cosmic Smokescreen See it as a poster -
Released on 12 December 2013 Titan North See it as a poster -
Released on 12 December 2016 A closer look at IC 5201 See it as a poster -
Released on 12 December 2018 Digitized Sky Survey image around R Aquarii See it as a poster -
Released on 12 December 2012 The Hubble Ultra Deep Field 2012 See it as a poster
In tropical astrology, 12 DEC 1996 falls under Sagittarius (♐). The sign's window runs from 11-22 through 12-21. Sagittarius points straight at the center of the Milky Way, our galaxy's brightest region. The Sun was crossing this region of the sky on 12 DEC 1996.
Questions about December 12, 1996
What space photo was released on December 12, 1996?
NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day for December 12, 1996 was "The Milky Way Through the Summer Triangle". 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 December 12, 1996?
A waxing crescent moon, about 4% lit.
What day of the week was December 12, 1996?
December 12, 1996 was a Thursday, day 347 of the 366 days in 1996.
Was there a meteor shower on December 12, 1996?
Yes: the Geminid shower, peaks in 2 days.
Is it free?
Yes. Seeing, sharing and downloading the card is free, and there's no account to make.