The sky on
your birthday.
Ganymede: Torn Comet - Crater Chain
This striking line of 13 craters on Jupiter's moon Ganymede was photographed by the Galileo spacecraft in 1997. The craters cut across a boundary between dark and light terrain, spanning an area about 120 miles wide. Such crater chains were a mystery until comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 broke apart and impacted Jupiter in 1994, showing how tidal forces can create such aligned impacts. This provides a dramatic lesson in the dynamics of our solar system.
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 15 December 2001 · Red Sea See it as a poster -
Released on 15 December 2008 The Southern Hemisphere of Enceladus See it as a poster -
Released on 15 December 2011 Hubble/Subaru composite of star-forming region S 106 See it as a poster -
Released on 15 December 2009 Hubble's festive view of a grand star-forming region See it as a poster -
Released on 15 December 2011 Wide-field view of the sky around NGC 253 See it as a poster -
Released on 15 December 2023 Rho Ophiuchi cloud complex See it as a poster
In tropical astrology, 15 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 15 DEC 2001.
Questions about December 15, 2001
What space photo was released on December 15, 2001?
NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day for December 15, 2001 was "Ganymede: Torn Comet - Crater Chain". It's the card at the top of this page.
What was the Moon's phase on December 15, 2001?
A new moon, about 0% lit.
What day of the week was December 15, 2001?
December 15, 2001 was a Saturday, day 349 of the 365 days in 2001.
Was there a meteor shower on December 15, 2001?
Yes: the Geminid shower, peaked yesterday.
What did the Sun and the Earth look like on December 15, 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.