The sky on
your birthday.
“Bright Meteor, Dark Sky” is copyrighted by W. Pacholka. NASA has permission to show it and we don't, so it isn't on this card.
See it on NASA's siteThe constellation Orion, with its familiar belt stars, appears in this image with a bright streak. This streak is a meteor from the Perseid Meteor Shower, an annual event. The Perseids are known for their bright display, as small pieces of comet dust burn up in Earth's atmosphere.
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.
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.
-
Released on 20 August 2013 Wide-field view of the star-forming region around the Herbig-Haro object HH 46/47 See it as a poster -
Released on 20 August 2012 A collection of ancient stars See it as a poster -
Released on 20 August 2008 The Perseus Cluster (DSS2 excerpt, ground-based image) See it as a poster -
Released on 20 August 2018 Hubble contributes to painting a picture of the evolving Universe See it as a poster -
Released on 20 August 2008 Magnetic monster NGC 1275 See it as a poster
In tropical astrology, 20 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 20 AUG 1997.
Questions about August 20, 1997
What space photo was released on August 20, 1997?
NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day for August 20, 1997 was "Bright Meteor, Dark Sky". 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 20, 1997?
A waning gibbous moon, about 96% lit.
What day of the week was August 20, 1997?
August 20, 1997 was a Wednesday, day 232 of the 365 days in 1997.
Was there a meteor shower on August 20, 1997?
Yes: the Perseid shower, peaked 7 days ago.
Is it free?
Yes. Seeing, sharing and downloading the card is free, and there's no account to make.