The sky on
your birthday.
Io Rotating
Jupiter's moon Io is the most volcanically active world in the solar system. The robotic Galileo spacecraft took hourly pictures of Io, confirming continuous volcanic plumes. The most prominent plume visible here is from Prometheus, just below Io's equator.
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 December 2003 The cluster RDCS1252.9-2927 (overview) See it as a poster -
Released on 31 December 2018 The smoking gun of a newborn star See it as a poster -
Released on 31 December 2012 Don’t trust your eyes See it as a poster -
Released on 31 December 2017 To Fly Free in Space See it as a poster -
Released on 31 December 2024 The Twisted Disk of NGC 4753 See it as a poster
In tropical astrology, 31 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 31 DEC 1996.
Questions about December 31, 1996
What space photo was released on December 31, 1996?
NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day for December 31, 1996 was "Io Rotating". It's the card at the top of this page.
What was the Moon's phase on December 31, 1996?
A last quarter moon, about 63% lit.
What day of the week was December 31, 1996?
December 31, 1996 was a Tuesday, day 366 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.