The sky on
your birthday.
“Asteroid 1998 WT24 Passes Near Earth” is copyrighted by S. Gajdos & J. Toth (Comenius U. Bratislava), Modra Observatory. NASA has permission to show it and we don't, so it isn't on this card.
See it on NASA's siteAsteroid 1998 WT24, a kilometer-sized object, passed unusually close to Earth in December 2001. This image, taken two days before its closest approach, shows the asteroid as it crossed the sky. While it posed no danger, passing well outside the Moon's orbit, such close approaches allow astronomers to track and study these objects with radar.
The Earth on 24 December 2001 · Red Sea
NASA Terra took this picture on 24 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 24 December 2001 · Red Sea See it as a poster -
Released on 24 December 2018 Globular Cluster NGC 1466 See it as a poster -
Released on 24 December 2025 The sun’s glint beams off the Atlantic Ocean See it as a poster -
Released on 24 December 2012 A wanderer dancing the dance of stars and space See it as a poster -
Released on 24 December 2005 Earthrise See it as a poster -
Released on 24 December 2008 Earthrise See it as a poster
In tropical astrology, 24 DEC 2001 falls under Capricorn (♑). The sign's window runs from 12-22 through 01-19. Capricorn is the dimmest zodiac constellation, but rich in deep-sky objects south of the celestial equator. The Sun was crossing this region of the sky on 24 DEC 2001.
Questions about December 24, 2001
What space photo was released on December 24, 2001?
NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day for December 24, 2001 was "Asteroid 1998 WT24 Passes Near Earth". 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 24, 2001?
A first quarter moon, about 67% lit.
What day of the week was December 24, 2001?
December 24, 2001 was a Monday, day 358 of the 365 days in 2001.
Was there a meteor shower on December 24, 2001?
Yes: the Ursid shower, peaked 2 days ago.
What did the Sun and the Earth look like on December 24, 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.