The sky on
your birthday.
M2-9: Wings of a Butterfly Nebula
When stars like our Sun die, they shed their outer layers, forming what we call a planetary nebula. M2-9, also known as the Butterfly Nebula, is one such dying star, about 2,100 light-years away. Its expanding gas forms intricate, wing-like structures, making a dramatic display.
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 Earth on your day The Earth on 17 December 2000 · Himalaya and Tibet See it as a poster -
Released on 17 December 2014 Wide-field view of the bright star clusters Messier 47 and Messier 46 See it as a poster -
Released on 17 December 2015 HH 24 (ground-based view) See it as a poster -
Released on 17 December 2013 Hubble image of variable star RS Puppis See it as a poster -
Released on 17 December 2012 The Needle Galaxy See it as a poster -
Released on 17 December 2014 The star cluster Messier 47 See it as a poster
In tropical astrology, 17 DEC 2000 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 17 DEC 2000.
Questions about December 17, 2000
What space photo was released on December 17, 2000?
NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day for December 17, 2000 was "M2-9: Wings of a Butterfly Nebula". It's the card at the top of this page.
What was the Moon's phase on December 17, 2000?
A last quarter moon, about 63% lit.
What day of the week was December 17, 2000?
December 17, 2000 was a Sunday, day 352 of the 366 days in 2000.
Was there a meteor shower on December 17, 2000?
Yes: the Geminid shower, peaked 3 days ago.
What did the Sun and the Earth look like on December 17, 2000?
NASA's Terra satellite photographed the whole Earth that day. It's 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.