The sky on
your birthday.
A Mirry Christmas Credit:
Astronaut John Blaha and his cosmonaut colleagues Valeri Korzun and Alexander Kaleri spent the 1996 holiday season onboard the Russian Mir space station. Blaha replaced Shannon Lucid as a Mir resident during the STS-79 mission flown by the Space Shuttle Atlantis. Mir is seen here 200 miles above Earth, orbiting at 17,500 miles per hour.
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 24 December 2018 Globular Cluster NGC 1466 See it as a poster -
Released on 24 December 2025 The sun’s glint beams off the Atlantic Ocean See it as a poster -
Released on 24 December 2012 A wanderer dancing the dance of stars and space See it as a poster -
Released on 24 December 2005 Earthrise See it as a poster -
Released on 24 December 2008 Earthrise See it as a poster
In tropical astrology, 24 DEC 1996 falls under Capricorn (♑). The sign's window runs from 12-22 through 01-19. Capricorn is the dimmest zodiac constellation, but rich in deep-sky objects south of the celestial equator. The Sun was crossing this region of the sky on 24 DEC 1996.
Questions about December 24, 1996
What space photo was released on December 24, 1996?
NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day for December 24, 1996 was "A Mirry Christmas Credit:". It's the card at the top of this page.
What was the Moon's phase on December 24, 1996?
A full moon, about 99% lit.
What day of the week was December 24, 1996?
December 24, 1996 was a Tuesday, day 359 of the 366 days in 1996.
Was there a meteor shower on December 24, 1996?
Yes: the Ursid shower, peaked 2 days ago.
Is it free?
Yes. Seeing, sharing and downloading the card is free, and there's no account to make.