The sky on
your birthday.
The Double Nucleus of M31
The center of the Andromeda Galaxy, M31, holds a surprise: a double nucleus. The Hubble Space Telescope's Planetary Camera discovered this in 1991. The two bright spots are only about thirty light-years apart, a tiny fraction of the galaxy's 150,000 light-year span. M31 is our Milky Way's closest large galactic neighbor.
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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Released on 11 October 2007 Titan North Polar Region See it as a poster -
Released on 11 October 2012 Aurorae over Planet Earth See it as a poster -
Released on 11 October 2021 A vivid aurora streams over the Earth as the International Space Station orbited 273 miles above the southern Indian See it as a poster -
Released on 11 October 2025 Manicouagan Impact Crater from Space See it as a poster -
Released on 11 October 2004 Alluvial Fan, China See it as a poster
In tropical astrology, 11 OCT 1996 falls under Libra (♎). The sign's window runs from 09-23 through 10-22. Libra is the only zodiac constellation named for an inanimate object, the scales of judgment. The Sun was crossing this region of the sky on 11 OCT 1996.
Questions about October 11, 1996
What space photo was released on October 11, 1996?
NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day for October 11, 1996 was "The Double Nucleus of M31". It's the card at the top of this page.
What was the Moon's phase on October 11, 1996?
A new moon, about 1% lit.
What day of the week was October 11, 1996?
October 11, 1996 was a Friday, day 285 of the 366 days in 1996.
Is it free?
Yes. Seeing, sharing and downloading the card is free, and there's no account to make.