The sky on
your birthday.
Moon Struck
The Moon's surface is scarred by ancient impacts, but flashes of light from new meteoroid strikes are a recent discovery. Observers using modest telescopes recorded six confirmed flashes during the 1999 and 2001 Leonid meteor showers. These impacts can be as bright as a third magnitude star, showing the Moon is still being shaped by its environment.
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 8 December 2001 · Red Sea See it as a poster -
Released on 8 December 2022 Southern Ring Nebula’s Spokes (NIRCam and MIRI Composite Image) See it as a poster -
Released on 8 December 2022 Southern Ring Nebula’s Gas (NIRCam and MIRI Composite Compass Image) See it as a poster -
Released on 8 December 2025 Massive stars make their mark See it as a poster -
Released on 8 December 2014 All that glitters See it as a poster -
Released on 8 December 2010 The globular star cluster Messier 107 See it as a poster
In tropical astrology, 8 DEC 2001 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 8 DEC 2001.
Questions about December 8, 2001
What space photo was released on December 8, 2001?
NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day for December 8, 2001 was "Moon Struck". It's the card at the top of this page.
What was the Moon's phase on December 8, 2001?
A last quarter moon, about 46% lit.
What day of the week was December 8, 2001?
December 8, 2001 was a Saturday, day 342 of the 365 days in 2001.
What did the Sun and the Earth look like on December 8, 2001?
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.