Astronomy Picture of the Day · February 4, 1996

The Closest Galaxy: The Sagittarius Dwarf

The Astronomy Picture of the Day for February 4, 1996 is “The Closest Galaxy: The Sagittarius Dwarf,” an image. The picture is copyrighted by its creator (Credit and Copyright: A. Oksanen, 2.5 meter Nordic Optical Telescope). The original explanation runs about 141 words.

From the explanation

“What’s the closest galaxy to our Milky Way? For many years astronomers thought it was the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC).”

— APOD editors, February 4, 1996

Read the full explanation on science.nasa.gov

At a glance

Date: February 4, 1996
Type: Image
Credit: Credit and Copyright: A. Oksanen, 2.5 meter Nordic Optical Telescope
Copyright: Copyrighted by the credited creator. Ask the copyright holder before reusing it.
Explanation length: About 141 words

All of February 1996 → · 1996 by month → · Full archive since 1995 →

Topics in this entry

The Milky Way Galaxies

Topics are matched from words in the title and explanation.

On this day: February 4 in other years

On Amazon

Popular picks for space fans

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Electronics Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition 32GB Read astronomy and space-history books anywhere. View on Amazon → Electronics Bose QuietComfort Wireless Headphones Noise-cancelling headphones for documentaries and launch livestreams. View on Amazon →

Source

Astronomy Picture of the Day, February 4, 1996 — science.nasa.gov/image-article/apod-1996-february-04-the-closest-galaxy-the-sagittarius-dwarf

Copy taken Oct 28, 2026, 2:39 AM EDT. The image and explanation belong to their creators. OpenOrbit is not affiliated with or endorsed by NASA.