The sky on
your birthday.
“Comet R3 PanSTARRS Before Rigel” is copyrighted by Jakub Kuřák & Martin Mašek (FZU of the Czech Academy of Sciences). NASA has permission to show it and we don't, so it isn't on this card.
See it on NASA's siteComet R3 PanSTARRS is not heading toward Rigel, the star at the top of the image. That star is far in the background, unrelated to the comet. The Witch Head Nebula, also in the distance, is similarly unconnected. The comet has moved into the Southern Hemisphere's skies, visible toward the west after sunset.
The Sun on 8 May 2026
NASA SDO took this picture on 8 May 2026, 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.
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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 8 May 2026 See it as a poster -
The Earth on your day The Earth on 8 May 2026 · Empty Quarter, Arabia See it as a poster -
Released on 8 May 2006 Descent Panorama of Saturn's Titan See it as a poster -
Released on 8 May 2006 Victoria on Opportunity Horizon Orbital View See it as a poster -
Released on 8 May 2022 Spiral Galaxy NGC 1512: The Inner Rings See it as a poster -
Released on 8 May 2017 Close encounter See it as a poster -
Released on 8 May 2022 The waning crescent Moon is pictured from the International Space Station as it flew into an orbital sunrise 260 miles See it as a poster
In tropical astrology, 8 MAY 2026 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 8 MAY 2026.
Questions about May 8, 2026
What space photo was released on May 8, 2026?
NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day for May 8, 2026 was "Comet R3 PanSTARRS Before Rigel". 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 8, 2026?
A last quarter moon, about 59% lit.
What day of the week was May 8, 2026?
May 8, 2026 was a Friday, day 128 of the 365 days in 2026.
Was there a meteor shower on May 8, 2026?
Yes: the Eta Aquariid shower, peaked 2 days ago.
What did the Sun and the Earth look like on May 8, 2026?
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.