Astronomy Picture of the Day · December 17, 1996

Mariner's Mercury

The Astronomy Picture of the Day for December 17, 1996 is “Mariner's Mercury,” an image. It is credited to Credit: Astrogeology Team, U.S. Geological Survey. The original explanation runs about 141 words.

From the explanation

“Mercury, the closest planet to the Sun, remains the most mysterious of the Solar System’s inner planets. Hiding in the Sun’s glare it is a difficult target for Earth bound observers .”

— APOD editors, December 17, 1996

Read the full explanation on science.nasa.gov

At a glance

Date: December 17, 1996
Type: Image
Credit: Credit: Astrogeology Team, U.S. Geological Survey
Copyright: No copyright notice on the entry. Check the credited institution’s own usage rules before reusing it.
Explanation length: About 141 words

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

Topics in this entry

The Sun

Topics are matched from words in the title and explanation.

On this day: December 17 in other years

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Source

Astronomy Picture of the Day, December 17, 1996 — science.nasa.gov/image-article/apod-1996-december-17-mariners-mercury

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.