Astronomy Picture of the Day ·

Julius Caesar and Leap Days

The Astronomy Picture of the Day for February 29, 2004 is “Julius Caesar and Leap Days,” an image. It is credited to Credit: Rune Rysstad. The original explanation runs about 209 words.

Julius Caesar and Leap Days
Credit: Rune Rysstad Shown from science.nasa.gov. Not hosted by OpenOrbit.

From the explanation

“Today, February 29th, is a leap day – a relatively rare occurrence. In 46 BC, Julius Caesar , pictured above in a self-decreed minted coin, created a calendar system that added one leap day every four years.”

— APOD editors, February 29, 2004

Read the full explanation on science.nasa.gov

At a glance

Date
February 29, 2004
Type
Image
Credit
Credit: Rune Rysstad
Copyright
No copyright notice on the entry. Check the credited institution’s own usage rules before reusing it.
Explanation length
About 209 words

All of February 2004 → · 2004 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: February 29 in other years

On Amazon

Popular picks for space fans

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Source

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.