The sky on
your birthday.
Astro 1 In Orbit
In December 1990, the Space Shuttle Columbia carried a suite of telescopes, known as Astro-1, into orbit. These instruments observed the universe in ultraviolet and x-ray wavelengths, which are blocked by Earth's atmosphere. Here, you can see the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UIT), the Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope (HUT), the Wisconsin Ultraviolet Photo-Polarimeter Experiment (WUPPE), and the Broad Band X-Ray Telescope (BBXRT) in Columbia's payload bay, with Orion in the background.
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.
-
Released on 17 August 2011 Wide-field view of the sky around a giant space blob See it as a poster -
Released on 17 August 2011 Closing in on a giant space blob See it as a poster -
Released on 17 August 2019 1901 Photograph: The Orion Nebula See it as a poster -
Released on 17 August 2006 Globular cluster NGC 6397 See it as a poster -
Released on 17 August 2022 A wispy aurora fades away above Earth's atmospheric glow as the International Space Station orbits into a sunrise 271 See it as a poster
In tropical astrology, 17 AUG 1997 falls under Leo (♌). The sign's window runs from 07-23 through 08-22. Leo is anchored by Regulus, the heart of the Lion, twenty-four parsecs from Earth. The Sun was crossing this region of the sky on 17 AUG 1997.
Questions about August 17, 1997
What space photo was released on August 17, 1997?
NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day for August 17, 1997 was "Astro 1 In Orbit". It's the card at the top of this page.
What was the Moon's phase on August 17, 1997?
A full moon, about 99% lit.
What day of the week was August 17, 1997?
August 17, 1997 was a Sunday, day 229 of the 365 days in 1997.
Was there a meteor shower on August 17, 1997?
Yes: the Perseid shower, peaked 4 days ago.
Is it free?
Yes. Seeing, sharing and downloading the card is free, and there's no account to make.