The sky on
your birthday.
“The Spectrum of a Meteor” is copyrighted by P. Jenniskens (SETI Inst.), E. Jehin (ESO) et al., FORS1/VLT, ESO. NASA has permission to show it and we don't, so it isn't on this card.
See it on NASA's siteCapturing the spectrum of a meteor is challenging, but astronomers at the Paranal Observatory got lucky on May 12, 2002. A bright meteor streaked across the narrow slit of their spectrograph, which was set up to study a distant supernova. This unexpected event allowed them to record the meteor's near-infrared emission lines. The resulting data provides insights into the meteor's composition as it burned through Earth's atmosphere.
The Earth on 12 August 2004 · Gobi Desert
NASA Terra took this picture on 12 August 2004, the day itself, not a release date.
We cannot put this date's photograph on paper at poster size. We can print the nearest public archive plate to your date instead.
Prints are coming soon. The card is free to save and share in the meantime.
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.
-
The Earth on your day The Earth on 12 August 2004 · Gobi Desert See it as a poster -
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 2004 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 2004.
Questions about August 12, 2004
What space photo was released on August 12, 2004?
NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day for August 12, 2004 was "The Spectrum of a Meteor". 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, 2004?
A waning crescent moon, about 13% lit.
What day of the week was August 12, 2004?
August 12, 2004 was a Thursday, day 225 of the 366 days in 2004.
Was there a meteor shower on August 12, 2004?
Yes: the Perseid shower, peaks tomorrow.
What did the Sun and the Earth look like on August 12, 2004?
NASA's Terra satellite photographed the whole Earth that day. It's on this page, next to the card.
Is it free?
Yes. Seeing, sharing and downloading the card is free, and there's no account to make.