The sky on
your birthday.
“Milky Way and Planets Near Opposition” is copyrighted by Tunç Tezel. NASA has permission to show it and we don't, so it isn't on this card.
See it on NASA's siteA mountain road in Turkey seems to lead toward Mars and Saturn, and the center of our Milky Way Galaxy. Mars reaches its opposition tonight, and Saturn in early June. Both will be up all night and close to Earth for good telescopic viewing.
The Sun on 21 May 2016
NASA SDO took this picture on 21 May 2016, 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 Sun on your day The Sun on 21 May 2016 See it as a poster -
The Earth on your day The Earth on 21 May 2016 · Colorado Plateau See it as a poster -
Released on 21 May 2026 A Collision of Galaxy Clusters See it as a poster -
Released on 21 May 2025 Wide-field view of the region of the sky around a ‘cosmic joust’ See it as a poster -
Released on 21 May 2015 NGC 6240: Merging Galaxies See it as a poster -
Released on 21 May 2014 The colourful star cluster NGC 3590 See it as a poster -
Released on 21 May 2025 City lights dot the southern United States' landscape See it as a poster
In tropical astrology, 21 MAY 2016 falls under Gemini (♊). The sign's window runs from 05-21 through 06-20. Gemini is named for the twin stars Castor and Pollux, both bright enough to spot without a telescope. The Sun was crossing this region of the sky on 21 MAY 2016.
Questions about May 21, 2016
What space photo was released on May 21, 2016?
NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day for May 21, 2016 was "Milky Way and Planets Near Opposition". 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 May 21, 2016?
A full moon, about 100% lit.
What day of the week was May 21, 2016?
May 21, 2016 was a Saturday, day 142 of the 366 days in 2016.
What did the Sun and the Earth look like on May 21, 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.