The sky on
your birthday.
M2-9: Wings of a Butterfly Nebula
M2-9, a butterfly planetary nebula 2,100 light-years away, shows a star in its final throes. The central star, a low-mass star like our Sun, has shed its outer layers of gas. These expelled gases form the symmetrical, colorful wings of the nebula. This process leaves behind a white dwarf star, which will slowly cool over billions of years.
We cannot put this date's photograph on paper at poster size. We can print the nearest public archive plate to your date instead.
See print sizesPrinted, shipped and sold by Zazzle
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.
-
The Earth on your day The Earth on 6 January 2002 · Madagascar See it as a poster -
Released on 6 January 2011 WISE Catches the Lagoon Nebula in Center of Action See it as a poster -
Released on 6 January 2020 Imposter or the Real Deal? See it as a poster -
Released on 6 January 2004 First Color Image from Spirit See it as a poster -
Released on 6 January 2017 Lanzarote, Canary Islands See it as a poster -
Released on 6 January 2020 UGC 2885 See it as a poster
In tropical astrology, 6 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 6 JAN 2002.
Questions about January 6, 2002
What space photo was released on January 6, 2002?
NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day for January 6, 2002 was "M2-9: Wings of a Butterfly Nebula". It's the card at the top of this page.
What was the Moon's phase on January 6, 2002?
A last quarter moon, about 52% lit.
What day of the week was January 6, 2002?
January 6, 2002 was a Sunday, day 6 of the 365 days in 2002.
Was there a meteor shower on January 6, 2002?
Yes: the Quadrantid shower, peaked 2 days ago.
What did the Sun and the Earth look like on January 6, 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.