Galaxy OriginsUpdated October 25, 2026.
Why the time and place matter
The zenith is fixed to where you stand and moves across the sky as the Earth turns: about one degree every four minutes. A birth in Chicago at 3 a.m. and one in Chicago at 9 a.m. on the same day point to very different parts of the sky, and so do two births at the same minute in different cities.
What "overhead" means
Galaxies are far fainter than stars and you would not see this one with your eyes. It is there all the same: the calculation uses the galaxy's catalogued coordinates and the exact direction above your birthplace at your birth time. The selected galaxy lies near the zenith rather than exactly on it, and the separation is part of the calculation.
What you can see before ordering
Enter the date, time and place on galaxyorigins.com. You see the galaxy, its catalogue name, its type and how long its light has traveled, and a print proof with your words, before deciding anything. The artwork is a telescope photograph of that galaxy prepared for print. It is a personal association with your moment, not a claim that the galaxy was photographed that day, and it is not ownership or a name.