September 20, 1996
Galaxies were colliding long before you were born, and they will keep colliding long after us all.
Hurricane Fran's Approach
Birthday · September 20, 1996
A little universe, just for you
Your date.
Ready to give.
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APOD published September 20, 1996. Full image credits are on the original APOD entry below. A publication-date match, not a photo taken on your date. Independent of NASA.
Two weeks ago Hurricane Fran, pictured above, struck the east coast of the United States. Hurricanes are huge swirling storms with cloud systems typically larger than a state. Tropical cyclones, called Hurricanes in Earth's Western Hemisphere and Typhoons in the Eastern Hemisphere, get their immense energy from warm evaporated ocean water. As this water vapor cools and condenses, it heats the air, lowers pressure and hence causes cooler air to come swooshing in. Winds can reach over 150 miles per hour and become very dangerous. Hurricane Fran, for example, killed more than 30 people and destroyed many million of dollars worth of property. Much remains unknown about cyclones, including how they are formed and the exact path they will take.