The sky on
your birthday.
Surveyor Slides
In September 1967, the Surveyor 5 lander made a soft landing on the Moon's Mare Tranquillitatis. It slid several feet after touching down on the inside edge of a small crater, which was inclined at about 20 degrees. The US Surveyor spacecraft were designed to determine if lunar landing sites were suitable for manned missions. Surveyor 5 successfully sent back television images and soil samples.
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 20 October 2025 NGC 3370 (wide view) See it as a poster -
Released on 20 October 2025 Focusing on NGC 3370 See it as a poster -
Released on 20 October 2019 Pluto at Night See it as a poster -
Released on 20 October 2024 The Niger River flows through the African nation of Mali See it as a poster -
Released on 20 October 2025 Comet Lemmon appears approximately 55.4 million miles from Earth See it as a poster
In tropical astrology, 20 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 20 OCT 1996.
Questions about October 20, 1996
What space photo was released on October 20, 1996?
NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day for October 20, 1996 was "Surveyor Slides". It's the card at the top of this page.
What was the Moon's phase on October 20, 1996?
A first quarter moon, about 56% lit.
What day of the week was October 20, 1996?
October 20, 1996 was a Sunday, day 294 of the 366 days in 1996.
Was there a meteor shower on October 20, 1996?
Yes: the Orionid shower, peaks tomorrow.
Is it free?
Yes. Seeing, sharing and downloading the card is free, and there's no account to make.