The sky on
your birthday.
“Partial Eclipse, Cloudy Day” is copyrighted by Stan Richard. NASA has permission to show it and we don't, so it isn't on this card.
See it on NASA's siteThe December solstice marks the shortest day in the Northern Hemisphere and the longest in the Southern. Just a week before, the Moon passed in front of the Sun, creating a partial annular eclipse. Observers in Costa Rica saw the Moon cover about 96 percent of the Sun's surface, leaving a bright ring of sunlight. This image captures the fleeting moment of that celestial alignment.
The Earth on 21 December 2001 · Pilbara, Western Australia
NASA Terra took this picture on 21 December 2001, the day itself, not a release date.
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 21 December 2001 · Pilbara, Western Australia See it as a poster -
Released on 21 December 2015 SN Refsdal: The First Predicted Supernova Image See it as a poster -
Released on 21 December 2006 Portrait of a dramatic stellar crib* See it as a poster -
Released on 21 December 2022 A Wreath of Star Formation in NGC 7469 See it as a poster -
Released on 21 December 2009 Star Cluster R136 Bursts Out See it as a poster -
Released on 21 December 2023 Webb spots a second lensed supernova in a distant galaxy See it as a poster
In tropical astrology, 21 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 21 DEC 2001.
Questions about December 21, 2001
What space photo was released on December 21, 2001?
NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day for December 21, 2001 was "Partial Eclipse, Cloudy Day". It's a photographer's copyrighted image, so we link to it on NASA's site and show the Sun or the Earth that day instead.
What was the Moon's phase on December 21, 2001?
A first quarter moon, about 36% lit.
What day of the week was December 21, 2001?
December 21, 2001 was a Friday, day 355 of the 365 days in 2001.
Was there a meteor shower on December 21, 2001?
Yes: the Ursid shower, peaks tomorrow.
What did the Sun and the Earth look like on December 21, 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.