The sky on
your birthday.
“Lightning on Earth” is copyrighted by Elizabeth Warner (U. Maryland). NASA has permission to show it and we don't, so it isn't on this card.
See it on NASA's siteLightning flashes illuminate the night sky behind Kitt Peak National Observatory. These electrical discharges, though common in rainstorms, still puzzle scientists who study how charges separate in clouds. On average, 6,000 lightning bolts strike between clouds and Earth every minute.
The Earth on 18 August 2004 · Lake Eyre, Australia
NASA Terra took this picture on 18 August 2004, the day itself, not a release date.
We cannot put this date's photograph on paper at poster size. We can print the nearest public archive plate to your date instead.
Prints are coming soon. The card is free to save and share in the meantime.
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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The Earth on your day The Earth on 18 August 2004 · Lake Eyre, Australia See it as a poster -
Released on 18 August 2012 Curiosity on Mars: Still Life with Rover See it as a poster -
Released on 18 August 2025 NGC 1309: A Useful Spiral Galaxy See it as a poster -
Released on 18 August 2025 Noteworthy nearby spiral See it as a poster -
Released on 18 August 2013 Skylab Over Earth See it as a poster -
Released on 18 August 2018 Earth's limb and dust storms in the Sahara are pictured as the International Space Station orbited nearly 252 miles See it as a poster
In tropical astrology, 18 AUG 2004 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 18 AUG 2004.
Questions about August 18, 2004
What space photo was released on August 18, 2004?
NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day for August 18, 2004 was "Lightning on Earth". 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 August 18, 2004?
A waxing crescent moon, about 7% lit.
What day of the week was August 18, 2004?
August 18, 2004 was a Wednesday, day 231 of the 366 days in 2004.
Was there a meteor shower on August 18, 2004?
Yes: the Perseid shower, peaked 5 days ago.
What did the Sun and the Earth look like on August 18, 2004?
NASA's Terra satellite photographed the whole Earth that day. It's on this page, next to the card.
Is it free?
Yes. Seeing, sharing and downloading the card is free, and there's no account to make.