Astronomy Picture of the Day · April 3, 1996

A Lucky Lunar Eclipse

The Astronomy Picture of the Day for April 3, 1996 is “A Lucky Lunar Eclipse,” an image. The picture is copyrighted by its creator (Credit and Copyright: Andy Steere). The original explanation runs about 179 words.

From the explanation

“Tonight’s full moon would normally washout the spectacle of Comet Hyakutake’s lovely tail , even for those far from light polluted skies. Except that tonight comet observers are in luck – the dance of the planets calls for a total lunar eclipse !”

— APOD editors, April 3, 1996

Read the full explanation on science.nasa.gov

At a glance

Date: April 3, 1996
Type: Image
Credit: Credit and Copyright: Andy Steere
Copyright: Copyrighted by the credited creator. Ask the copyright holder before reusing it.
Explanation length: About 179 words

All of April 1996 → · 1996 by month → · Full archive since 1995 →

Topics in this entry

The Moon Eclipses Comets

Topics are matched from words in the title and explanation.

On this day: April 3 in other years

On Amazon

Popular picks for space fans

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Electronics Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition 32GB Read astronomy and space-history books anywhere. View on Amazon → Electronics Bose QuietComfort Wireless Headphones Noise-cancelling headphones for documentaries and launch livestreams. View on Amazon →

Source

Astronomy Picture of the Day, April 3, 1996 — science.nasa.gov/image-article/apod-1996-april-03-a-lucky-lunar-eclipse

Copy taken Oct 28, 2026, 2:39 AM EDT. The image and explanation belong to their creators. OpenOrbit is not affiliated with or endorsed by NASA.