The sky on
your birthday.
Two Black Holes Merge
This simulation shows two black holes merging, inspired by the first direct detection of gravitational waves by LIGO. The black holes distort the light from background stars and gas, creating what are known as Einstein rings. As they spiral closer, their immense gravity generates ripples in spacetime, which are gravitational waves, before they combine into a single, more massive black hole.
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 Sun on your day The Sun on 12 February 2016 See it as a poster -
The Earth on your day The Earth on 12 February 2016 · Lake Eyre, Australia See it as a poster -
Released on 12 February 2009 The Carina Nebula * See it as a poster -
Released on 12 February 2020 Pale Blue Dot Revisited See it as a poster -
Released on 12 February 2008 Abell 1689 See it as a poster -
Released on 12 February 2008 Wide-field image of the Virgo constellation (ground-based image) See it as a poster -
Released on 12 February 2018 A window into the cosmic past See it as a poster
In tropical astrology, 12 FEB 2016 falls under Aquarius (♒). The sign's window runs from 01-20 through 02-18. Aquarius is home to the Helix Nebula, the closest planetary nebula to Earth. The Sun was crossing this region of the sky on 12 FEB 2016.
Questions about February 12, 2016
What space photo was released on February 12, 2016?
NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day for February 12, 2016 was "Two Black Holes Merge". It's the card at the top of this page.
What was the Moon's phase on February 12, 2016?
A waxing crescent moon, about 18% lit.
What day of the week was February 12, 2016?
February 12, 2016 was a Friday, day 43 of the 366 days in 2016.
What did the Sun and the Earth look like on February 12, 2016?
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.