The sky on
your birthday.
The Same Color Illusion
This image presents an optical illusion where squares A and B appear to be different colors but are, in fact, the same. This phenomenon, known as the same color illusion, highlights how human perception can be ambiguous or inaccurate. Similar illusions exist in astronomy, such as the apparent size of the Moon near the horizon.
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 18 December 2023 See it as a poster -
The Earth on your day The Earth on 18 December 2023 · Himalaya and Tibet See it as a poster -
Released on 18 December 2012 Hubble snaps NGC 5189 See it as a poster -
Released on 18 December 2024 Close look at a local galaxy See it as a poster -
Released on 18 December 2024 NGC 2566 (HST image) See it as a poster -
Released on 18 December 2012 Massive Star Makes Waves See it as a poster -
Released on 18 December 2023 Uranus widefield view (NIRCam) See it as a poster
In tropical astrology, 18 DEC 2023 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 18 DEC 2023.
Questions about December 18, 2023
What space photo was released on December 18, 2023?
NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day for December 18, 2023 was "The Same Color Illusion". It's the card at the top of this page.
What was the Moon's phase on December 18, 2023?
A first quarter moon, about 32% lit.
What day of the week was December 18, 2023?
December 18, 2023 was a Monday, day 352 of the 365 days in 2023.
Was there a meteor shower on December 18, 2023?
Yes: the Geminid shower, peaked 4 days ago.
What did the Sun and the Earth look like on December 18, 2023?
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.