The sky on
your birthday.
Fermi Epicycles: The Vela Pulsar's Path
The Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope orbits Earth every 95 minutes, surveying the sky for extreme energies. It rocks north and south on alternating orbits and rolls to keep its solar panels aimed at the Sun. Its orbit precesses, completing a rotation every 54 days. These combined motions create a complex path for gamma-ray sources.
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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 Sun on your day The Sun on 4 May 2012 See it as a poster -
The Earth on your day The Earth on 4 May 2012 · Sahara, Algeria 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 2012 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 2012.
Questions about May 4, 2012
What space photo was released on May 4, 2012?
NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day for May 4, 2012 was "Fermi Epicycles: The Vela Pulsar's Path". It's the card at the top of this page.
What was the Moon's phase on May 4, 2012?
A full moon, about 97% lit.
What day of the week was May 4, 2012?
May 4, 2012 was a Friday, day 125 of the 366 days in 2012.
Was there a meteor shower on May 4, 2012?
Yes: the Eta Aquariid shower, peaks in 2 days.
What did the Sun and the Earth look like on May 4, 2012?
NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory photographed the Sun that day, and NASA's Terra satellite photographed the whole Earth. Both are 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.