The sky on
your birthday.
The Magnetic Field of the Whirlpool Galaxy
The Whirlpool Galaxy, M51, is a spiral galaxy that we see face-on, 23 million light-years away in the constellation Canes Venatici. Radio telescope observations show its magnetic fields following the spiral arms. However, the SOFIA observatory, a modified Boeing 747SP carrying an infrared telescope, found that the magnetic field at the galaxy's outer edge cuts across the arms instead.
Heavy matte paper, about 200 gsm, printed in the United States and shipped free. The card stays free, the print is the thing you keep.
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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 20 January 2021 See it as a poster -
The Earth on your day The Earth on 20 January 2021 · Lake Eyre, Australia See it as a poster -
Released on 20 January 2026 Helix Nebula (NIRCam image) See it as a poster -
Released on 20 January 2014 Seeing double See it as a poster -
Released on 20 January 2026 Io in True Color See it as a poster -
Released on 20 January 2014 Baryon Acoustic Oscillations from SDSS-III See it as a poster -
Released on 20 January 2025 A Tarantula’s outskirts See it as a poster
In tropical astrology, 20 JAN 2021 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 20 JAN 2021.
Questions about January 20, 2021
What space photo was released on January 20, 2021?
NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day for January 20, 2021 was "The Magnetic Field of the Whirlpool Galaxy". It's the card at the top of this page.
What was the Moon's phase on January 20, 2021?
A first quarter moon, about 44% lit.
What day of the week was January 20, 2021?
January 20, 2021 was a Wednesday, day 20 of the 365 days in 2021.
What did the Sun and the Earth look like on January 20, 2021?
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.