The sky on
your birthday.
Descending Toward Asteroid Bennu
What would it be like to land on an asteroid? This video shows a simulated descent to asteroid 101955 Bennu, based on a digital map from OSIRIS-REx. The robotic spacecraft is scheduled to collect a sample from Bennu to return to Earth for analysis in 2023. Bennu is about 500 meters across and diamond-shaped.
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.
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The Sun on your day The Sun on 12 October 2020 See it as a poster -
The Earth on your day The Earth on 12 October 2020 · Nile Delta and Sinai See it as a poster -
Released on 12 October 2020 A frEGGS-plosion of Star Formation See it as a poster -
Released on 12 October 2015 Elegant spiral hides a hungry monster See it as a poster -
Released on 12 October 2006 Wide-field image of the Spiderweb Galaxy (ground-based image) See it as a poster -
Released on 12 October 2014 The Helix Nebula from Blanco and Hubble See it as a poster -
Released on 12 October 2020 The sky around AT2019qiz See it as a poster
In tropical astrology, 12 OCT 2020 falls under Libra (♎). The sign's window runs from 09-23 through 10-22. Libra is the only zodiac constellation named for an inanimate object, the scales of judgment. The Sun was crossing this region of the sky on 12 OCT 2020.
Questions about October 12, 2020
What space photo was released on October 12, 2020?
NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day for October 12, 2020 was "Descending Toward Asteroid Bennu". It's the card at the top of this page.
What was the Moon's phase on October 12, 2020?
A waning crescent moon, about 22% lit.
What day of the week was October 12, 2020?
October 12, 2020 was a Monday, day 286 of the 366 days in 2020.
What did the Sun and the Earth look like on October 12, 2020?
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.