The sky on
your birthday.
The Barren Moon Credit:
This Apollo 17 image from 1972 shows the stark lunar surface, including the Eratosthenes and Copernicus craters. This view of a lifeless Moon is familiar in the space age. However, in 1835, the New York Sun newspaper published sensational stories claiming to describe life on the Moon, a hoax intended to boost circulation.
We cannot put this date's photograph on paper at poster size. We can print the nearest public archive plate to your date instead.
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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 31 October 2022 The Vela supernova remnant imaged by the VLT Survey Telescope See it as a poster -
Released on 31 October 2024 The Dark Wolf Nebula See it as a poster -
Released on 31 October 2025 Wide-field view around the RCW 94/95 nebulae See it as a poster -
Released on 31 October 2018 Wide-field view of the Serpens Nebula (ground-based image) See it as a poster -
Released on 31 October 2012 The globular star cluster NGC 6362 See it as a poster
In tropical astrology, 31 OCT 1996 falls under Scorpio (♏). The sign's window runs from 10-23 through 11-21. Scorpio is marked by Antares, a red supergiant the size of Mars's orbit. The Sun was crossing this region of the sky on 31 OCT 1996.
Questions about October 31, 1996
What space photo was released on October 31, 1996?
NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day for October 31, 1996 was "The Barren Moon Credit:". It's the card at the top of this page.
What was the Moon's phase on October 31, 1996?
A waning gibbous moon, about 81% lit.
What day of the week was October 31, 1996?
October 31, 1996 was a Thursday, day 305 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.
- 1996-10-01 BATSE's Biggest Gamma Ray Burst (Yet) Credit:
- 1996-10-24 Starbirth in the Lagoon Nebula Credit and Copyright:
- 1996-10-30 Grand Design Spiral Galaxy NGC 2997
- 1996-11-01 Spiral Galaxy NGC 3628 Edge On Credit:
- 1996-11-07 Fields of Minerals on Ganymede Credit:
- 1996-11-30 Aurora Astern Credit: