The sky on
your birthday.
“Sher 25: A Pending Supernova?” is copyrighted by W. Brandner (UIUC), E.K. Grebel (U. Wuerzburg), et al., ESO, 1.54-m Telescope, Chile. NASA has permission to show it and we don't, so it isn't on this card.
See it on NASA's siteSher 25 is a blue supergiant star located near the star cluster NGC 3603. It is a massive star, and stars like it are candidates for a supernova explosion. While astronomers cannot predict exactly when a star will explode, Sher 25 is a star that is expected to eventually meet this dramatic end.
Backshell Located
NASA released this picture on 7 August 1997. 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 1997 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 1997.
Questions about August 12, 1997
What space photo was released on August 12, 1997?
NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day for August 12, 1997 was "Sher 25: A Pending Supernova?". 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, 1997?
A first quarter moon, about 63% lit.
What day of the week was August 12, 1997?
August 12, 1997 was a Tuesday, day 224 of the 365 days in 1997.
Was there a meteor shower on August 12, 1997?
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.