The sky on
your birthday.
“M1: The Incredible Expanding Crab” is copyrighted by Detlef Hartmann. NASA has permission to show it and we don't, so it isn't on this card.
See it on NASA's siteThe Crab Nebula, also known as M1, is what remains of a star that exploded in 1054. Chinese astronomers recorded the event. Today, the cloud of debris is about 10 light-years across and is still expanding at over 1,000 kilometers per second. This image documents its expansion over the past decade.
The Sun on 4 January 2018
NASA SDO took this picture on 4 January 2018, 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 4 January 2018 See it as a poster -
The Earth on your day The Earth on 4 January 2018 · Sahara, Algeria See it as a poster -
Released on 4 January 2024 Zeta Oph: Runaway Star See it as a poster -
Released on 4 January 2016 Earthset from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter See it as a poster -
Released on 4 January 2025 A red and green aurora shimmers brightly above Ontario, Canada See it as a poster -
Released on 4 January 2025 A red and green aurora borealis above Canada's Gulf of St. Lawrence See it as a poster -
Released on 4 January 2025 An aurora shimmers and dances above the city lights of Canada See it as a poster
In tropical astrology, 4 JAN 2018 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 4 JAN 2018.
Questions about January 4, 2018
What space photo was released on January 4, 2018?
NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day for January 4, 2018 was "M1: The Incredible Expanding Crab". 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 January 4, 2018?
A waning gibbous moon, about 95% lit.
What day of the week was January 4, 2018?
January 4, 2018 was a Thursday, day 4 of the 365 days in 2018.
Was there a meteor shower on January 4, 2018?
Yes: the Quadrantid shower, peak tonight.
What did the Sun and the Earth look like on January 4, 2018?
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.