The sky on
your birthday.
M51: Cosmic Whirlpool
M51, also known as the Whirlpool Galaxy, is a stunning pair of interacting galaxies. The larger galaxy, NGC 5194, shows well-defined spiral arms that appear to sweep in front of its companion, NGC 5195. This system, the 51st entry in Charles Messier's catalog, is a classic example of galactic interaction and sits in the constellation Canes Venatici.
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 5 January 2008 · Nile Delta and Sinai See it as a poster -
Released on 5 January 2015 New view of the Pillars of Creation: visible See it as a poster -
Released on 5 January 2015 Digitized Sky Survey Image of the Eagle Nebula See it as a poster -
Released on 5 January 2015 New view of the Pillars of Creation: infrared See it as a poster -
Released on 5 January 2015 The area around the Andromeda Galaxy (ground-based image) See it as a poster -
Released on 5 January 2016 Andromeda in High-Energy X-rays See it as a poster
In tropical astrology, 5 JAN 2008 falls under Capricorn (♑). The sign's window runs from 12-22 through 01-19. Capricorn is the dimmest zodiac constellation, but rich in deep-sky objects south of the celestial equator. The Sun was crossing this region of the sky on 5 JAN 2008.
Questions about January 5, 2008
What space photo was released on January 5, 2008?
NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day for January 5, 2008 was "M51: Cosmic Whirlpool". It's the card at the top of this page.
What was the Moon's phase on January 5, 2008?
A waning crescent moon, about 9% lit.
What day of the week was January 5, 2008?
January 5, 2008 was a Saturday, day 5 of the 366 days in 2008.
Was there a meteor shower on January 5, 2008?
Yes: the Quadrantid shower, peaked yesterday.
What did the Sun and the Earth look like on January 5, 2008?
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.