The sky on
your birthday.
Degas Ray Crater on Mercury Credit:
Mercury, like Earth's Moon, is covered in craters from an intense bombardment early in the Solar System's history. This mosaic from Mariner 10, the only spacecraft to image Mercury in detail before Messenger, shows the 27-mile-wide Degas crater. Bright rays of light-colored material, blasted out during the crater's formation, emanate from its center.
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 8 December 2022 Southern Ring Nebula’s Spokes (NIRCam and MIRI Composite Image) See it as a poster -
Released on 8 December 2022 Southern Ring Nebula’s Gas (NIRCam and MIRI Composite Compass Image) See it as a poster -
Released on 8 December 2025 Massive stars make their mark See it as a poster -
Released on 8 December 2014 All that glitters See it as a poster -
Released on 8 December 2010 The globular star cluster Messier 107 See it as a poster
In tropical astrology, 8 DEC 1996 falls under Sagittarius (♐). The sign's window runs from 11-22 through 12-21. Sagittarius points straight at the center of the Milky Way, our galaxy's brightest region. The Sun was crossing this region of the sky on 8 DEC 1996.
Questions about December 8, 1996
What space photo was released on December 8, 1996?
NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day for December 8, 1996 was "Degas Ray Crater on Mercury Credit:". It's the card at the top of this page.
What was the Moon's phase on December 8, 1996?
A waning crescent moon, about 5% lit.
What day of the week was December 8, 1996?
December 8, 1996 was a Sunday, day 343 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.