The sky on
your birthday.
M2-9: Wings of a Butterfly Nebula
M2-9, a butterfly planetary nebula, lies 2,100 light-years away. It formed as a low-mass star, like our Sun, shed its outer layers, transforming into a white dwarf. The expelled gas creates an impressive display that fades over thousands of years. This process is a common end for many stars.
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 23 December 2007 Details of Layers in Victoria Crater Cape St. Vincent See it as a poster -
Released on 23 December 2009 Wide-field view of Messier 30 (ground-based image) See it as a poster -
Released on 23 December 2020 A Bright Bar of Light See it as a poster -
Released on 23 December 2009 ACS image of Messier 30 See it as a poster -
Released on 23 December 2019 An Active Centre See it as a poster
In tropical astrology, 23 DEC 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 23 DEC 1997.
Questions about December 23, 1997
What space photo was released on December 23, 1997?
NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day for December 23, 1997 was "M2-9: Wings of a Butterfly Nebula". It's the card at the top of this page.
What was the Moon's phase on December 23, 1997?
A last quarter moon, about 35% lit.
What day of the week was December 23, 1997?
December 23, 1997 was a Tuesday, day 357 of the 365 days in 1997.
Was there a meteor shower on December 23, 1997?
Yes: the Ursid shower, peaked yesterday.
Is it free?
Yes. Seeing, sharing and downloading the card is free, and there's no account to make.