The sky on
your birthday.
Schwassmann-Wachmann 3: Fragment B
Comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3, a cosmic mix of ice and dust, has broken apart before, in 1995. This time, it's rapidly disintegrating into more than three dozen fragments, labeled alphabetically, stretching several degrees across the sky. Comets are fragile, and stresses from heat, gravity, and outgassing can cause them to break apart.
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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The Earth on your day The Earth on 4 May 2006 · Gobi Desert See it as a poster -
Released on 4 May 2011 Wide-field image of the area around the Meathook galaxy (ground-based image) See it as a poster -
Released on 4 May 2011 Wide-field view of the sky around the Meathook galaxy See it as a poster -
Released on 4 May 2020 Galaxy Galaxy, Burning Bright! See it as a poster -
Released on 4 May 2015 A hole in the sky See it as a poster -
Released on 4 May 2017 The Perseus Cluster Waves See it as a poster
In tropical astrology, 4 MAY 2006 falls under Taurus (♉). The sign's window runs from 04-20 through 05-20. Taurus holds the Pleiades star cluster and Aldebaran, the red giant that marks the eye of the Bull. The Sun was crossing this region of the sky on 4 MAY 2006.
Questions about May 4, 2006
What space photo was released on May 4, 2006?
NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day for May 4, 2006 was "Schwassmann-Wachmann 3: Fragment B". It's the card at the top of this page.
What was the Moon's phase on May 4, 2006?
A first quarter moon, about 39% lit.
What day of the week was May 4, 2006?
May 4, 2006 was a Thursday, day 124 of the 365 days in 2006.
Was there a meteor shower on May 4, 2006?
Yes: the Eta Aquariid shower, peaks in 2 days.
What did the Sun and the Earth look like on May 4, 2006?
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.