The sky on
your birthday.
Lava Fountain on Jupiter's Io
Jupiter's moon Io, the most volcanically active body in the solar system, features a lava fountain captured by the Galileo spacecraft. This eruption, over a kilometer high, was so bright it saturated Galileo's camera, requiring digital reconstruction. The lava plume originates from a 20-kilometer-long canyon on Io's surface. Io's extreme volcanic activity is due to the immense tidal forces exerted by Jupiter and its other large moons.
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 20 December 2001 The Eagle's EGGs * See it as a poster -
Released on 20 December 2017 Widefield image of the sky around π1 Gruis See it as a poster -
Released on 20 December 2023 Dwarf irregular galaxy UGC 8091 (wide-field view) See it as a poster -
Released on 20 December 2018 Galaxy Cluster MACSJ0416 See it as a poster -
Released on 20 December 2018 Intracluster light in Abell S1063 See it as a poster
In tropical astrology, 20 DEC 1999 falls under Sagittarius (♐). The sign's window runs from 11-22 through 12-21. Sagittarius points straight at the center of the Milky Way, our galaxy's brightest region. The Sun was crossing this region of the sky on 20 DEC 1999.
Questions about December 20, 1999
What space photo was released on December 20, 1999?
NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day for December 20, 1999 was "Lava Fountain on Jupiter's Io". It's the card at the top of this page.
What was the Moon's phase on December 20, 1999?
A waxing gibbous moon, about 93% lit.
What day of the week was December 20, 1999?
December 20, 1999 was a Monday, day 354 of the 365 days in 1999.
Was there a meteor shower on December 20, 1999?
Yes: the Ursid shower, peaks in 2 days.
Is it free?
Yes. Seeing, sharing and downloading the card is free, and there's no account to make.