The sky on
your birthday.
Disorder in Stephan's Quintet
Stephan's Quintet shows five galaxies grouped closely together in this image from the Kitt Peak National Observatory 2.1-meter telescope. Four of the galaxies share a similar redshift, indicating they are at the same distance from us. However, the large bluish spiral galaxy below and to the left has a smaller redshift, meaning it is much closer and just appears to be part of the group.
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 13 December 2005 Sirius (ground-based image) See it as a poster -
Released on 13 December 2021 Hubble Gazes Sidelong at NGC 3568 See it as a poster -
Released on 13 December 2017 Stellar Nursery Blooms into View See it as a poster -
Released on 13 December 2006 Looking East to Tyrone See it as a poster -
Released on 13 December 2023 Star Cluster IC 348 (NIRCam image) See it as a poster
In tropical astrology, 13 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 13 DEC 1996.
Questions about December 13, 1996
What space photo was released on December 13, 1996?
NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day for December 13, 1996 was "Disorder in Stephan's Quintet". It's the card at the top of this page.
What was the Moon's phase on December 13, 1996?
A waxing crescent moon, about 9% lit.
What day of the week was December 13, 1996?
December 13, 1996 was a Friday, day 348 of the 366 days in 1996.
Was there a meteor shower on December 13, 1996?
Yes: the Geminid shower, peaks tomorrow.
Is it free?
Yes. Seeing, sharing and downloading the card is free, and there's no account to make.