The sky on
your birthday.
M16: Infrared Star Hunt
This is the head of a pillar of gas and dust in M16, the Eagle Nebula, 7,000 light-years distant. Captured in near-infrared by astronomers hunting for stars, the image penetrates much of the obscuring dust. The famous 'EGGs' or evaporating gaseous globules, first seen by Hubble in visible light, are also present here. Even in infrared, the cloud's core remains opaque, a dense birthplace for stars.
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 4 January 2002 · Lake Eyre, Australia See it as a poster -
Released on 4 January 2024 Zeta Oph: Runaway Star See it as a poster -
Released on 4 January 2016 Earthset from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter See it as a poster -
Released on 4 January 2025 A red and green aurora shimmers brightly above Ontario, Canada See it as a poster -
Released on 4 January 2025 A red and green aurora borealis above Canada's Gulf of St. Lawrence See it as a poster -
Released on 4 January 2025 An aurora shimmers and dances above the city lights of Canada See it as a poster
In tropical astrology, 4 JAN 2002 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 4 JAN 2002.
Questions about January 4, 2002
What space photo was released on January 4, 2002?
NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day for January 4, 2002 was "M16: Infrared Star Hunt". It's the card at the top of this page.
What was the Moon's phase on January 4, 2002?
A waning gibbous moon, about 72% lit.
What day of the week was January 4, 2002?
January 4, 2002 was a Friday, day 4 of the 365 days in 2002.
Was there a meteor shower on January 4, 2002?
Yes: the Quadrantid shower, peak tonight.
What did the Sun and the Earth look like on January 4, 2002?
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.