The sky on
your birthday.
Mariner's Mercury
Mercury, the innermost planet, is difficult to see from Earth because it hides in the Sun's glare. Mariner 10 was the only spacecraft to explore Mercury up close before Messenger, flying past it three times in 1974 and 1975. The spacecraft surveyed about 45 percent of the planet's surface, taking photographs of the sunlit hemisphere during each pass.
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 17 December 2014 Wide-field view of the bright star clusters Messier 47 and Messier 46 See it as a poster -
Released on 17 December 2015 HH 24 (ground-based view) See it as a poster -
Released on 17 December 2013 Hubble image of variable star RS Puppis See it as a poster -
Released on 17 December 2012 The Needle Galaxy See it as a poster -
Released on 17 December 2014 The star cluster Messier 47 See it as a poster
In tropical astrology, 17 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 17 DEC 1996.
Questions about December 17, 1996
What space photo was released on December 17, 1996?
NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day for December 17, 1996 was "Mariner's Mercury". It's the card at the top of this page.
What was the Moon's phase on December 17, 1996?
A first quarter moon, about 45% lit.
What day of the week was December 17, 1996?
December 17, 1996 was a Tuesday, day 352 of the 366 days in 1996.
Was there a meteor shower on December 17, 1996?
Yes: the Geminid shower, peaked 3 days ago.
Is it free?
Yes. Seeing, sharing and downloading the card is free, and there's no account to make.