The sky on
your birthday.
“The Tulip in the Swan” is copyrighted by Martin Pugh. NASA has permission to show it and we don't, so it isn't on this card.
See it on NASA's siteThe Tulip Nebula, also known as Sh2-101, sits in the constellation Cygnus the Swan, 8,000 light-years from Earth. This glowing cloud of interstellar gas and dust spans 70 light-years. It is an emission region, meaning its gases are energized and emit light.
The Sun on 20 October 2016
NASA SDO took this picture on 20 October 2016, 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.
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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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The Sun on your day The Sun on 20 October 2016 See it as a poster -
The Earth on your day The Earth on 20 October 2016 · Madagascar See it as a poster -
Released on 20 October 2025 NGC 3370 (wide view) See it as a poster -
Released on 20 October 2025 Focusing on NGC 3370 See it as a poster -
Released on 20 October 2019 Pluto at Night See it as a poster -
Released on 20 October 2024 The Niger River flows through the African nation of Mali See it as a poster -
Released on 20 October 2025 Comet Lemmon appears approximately 55.4 million miles from Earth See it as a poster
In tropical astrology, 20 OCT 2016 falls under Libra (♎). The sign's window runs from 09-23 through 10-22. Libra is the only zodiac constellation named for an inanimate object, the scales of judgment. The Sun was crossing this region of the sky on 20 OCT 2016.
Questions about October 20, 2016
What space photo was released on October 20, 2016?
NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day for October 20, 2016 was "The Tulip in the Swan". 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 October 20, 2016?
A waning gibbous moon, about 82% lit.
What day of the week was October 20, 2016?
October 20, 2016 was a Thursday, day 294 of the 366 days in 2016.
Was there a meteor shower on October 20, 2016?
Yes: the Orionid shower, peaks tomorrow.
What did the Sun and the Earth look like on October 20, 2016?
NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory photographed the Sun that day, and NASA's Terra satellite photographed the whole Earth. Both are 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.