The sky on
your birthday.
Microlensing of the Einstein Cross
The Einstein Cross is a phenomenon where a distant quasar appears as four images around a foreground galaxy. This happens because the galaxy's gravity acts like a lens, bending the quasar's light. Individual stars within that foreground galaxy can also act as lenses, causing the brightness of the four quasar images to change relative to each other.
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 15 December 2008 The Southern Hemisphere of Enceladus See it as a poster -
Released on 15 December 2011 Hubble/Subaru composite of star-forming region S 106 See it as a poster -
Released on 15 December 2009 Hubble's festive view of a grand star-forming region See it as a poster -
Released on 15 December 2011 Wide-field view of the sky around NGC 253 See it as a poster -
Released on 15 December 2023 Rho Ophiuchi cloud complex See it as a poster
In tropical astrology, 15 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 15 DEC 1996.
Questions about December 15, 1996
What space photo was released on December 15, 1996?
NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day for December 15, 1996 was "Microlensing of the Einstein Cross". It's the card at the top of this page.
What was the Moon's phase on December 15, 1996?
A waxing crescent moon, about 25% lit.
What day of the week was December 15, 1996?
December 15, 1996 was a Sunday, day 350 of the 366 days in 1996.
Was there a meteor shower on December 15, 1996?
Yes: the Geminid shower, peaked yesterday.
Is it free?
Yes. Seeing, sharing and downloading the card is free, and there's no account to make.