The sky on
your birthday.
“A Star Where Photons Orbit” is copyrighted by Robert Nemiroff (MTU). NASA has permission to show it and we don't, so it isn't on this card.
See it on NASA's siteThis computer-animated picture depicts how a very compact star, more dense than any known except a black hole, would look to a nearby observer. The observer is at the photon sphere, where light can orbit in a circle. A map of Earth is projected onto the star, and a map of the night sky is projected above it, to visualize the distortions created by gravity.
First Panoramic View From The Surface Of Mars
NASA released this picture on 30 December 1996. That is the day it was published, not the day it was taken.
We cannot put this date's photograph on paper at poster size. We can print the nearest public archive plate to your date instead.
See print sizesPrinted, shipped and sold by Zazzle
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 4 January 2024 Zeta Oph: Runaway Star See it as a poster -
Released on 4 January 2016 Earthset from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter See it as a poster -
Released on 4 January 2025 A red and green aurora shimmers brightly above Ontario, Canada See it as a poster -
Released on 4 January 2025 A red and green aurora borealis above Canada's Gulf of St. Lawrence See it as a poster -
Released on 4 January 2025 An aurora shimmers and dances above the city lights of Canada See it as a poster
In tropical astrology, 4 JAN 1997 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 4 JAN 1997.
Questions about January 4, 1997
What space photo was released on January 4, 1997?
NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day for January 4, 1997 was "A Star Where Photons Orbit". It's a photographer's copyrighted image, so we link to it on NASA's site and show the Sun or the Earth that day instead.
What was the Moon's phase on January 4, 1997?
A waning crescent moon, about 22% lit.
What day of the week was January 4, 1997?
January 4, 1997 was a Saturday, day 4 of the 365 days in 1997.
Was there a meteor shower on January 4, 1997?
Yes: the Quadrantid shower, peak tonight.
Is it free?
Yes. Seeing, sharing and downloading the card is free, and there's no account to make.