The sky on
your birthday.
Proplyds: Infant Solar Systems?
The Hubble Space Telescope provided strong evidence for the commonality of planets in our galaxy with this 1994 image of the Orion Nebula. It reveals "proplyds," fuzzy blobs of dust and gas surrounding newly formed stars. These appear to be infant solar systems in the process of formation. Four of the five stars in this field, which spans about 0.14 light-years, have associated proplyds.
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 17 October 2005 Dione in Full View See it as a poster -
Released on 17 October 2008 The Mimas Atlas See it as a poster -
Released on 17 October 2006 Colliding galaxies make love, not war See it as a poster -
Released on 17 October 2006 Wide view of the Antennae galaxies (ground-based image) See it as a poster -
Released on 17 October 2010 NGC 346 in the Small Magellanic Cloud See it as a poster
In tropical astrology, 17 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 17 OCT 1996.
Questions about October 17, 1996
What space photo was released on October 17, 1996?
NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day for October 17, 1996 was "Proplyds: Infant Solar Systems?". It's the card at the top of this page.
What was the Moon's phase on October 17, 1996?
A waxing crescent moon, about 25% lit.
What day of the week was October 17, 1996?
October 17, 1996 was a Thursday, day 291 of the 366 days in 1996.
Was there a meteor shower on October 17, 1996?
Yes: the Orionid shower, peaks in 4 days.
Is it free?
Yes. Seeing, sharing and downloading the card is free, and there's no account to make.