The sky on
your birthday.
Solstice Celebration
On December 22nd, the Sun reaches its southernmost point in Earth's sky, marking the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere. This detailed, brightly colored image of the active Sun comes from the EIT instrument onboard the SOHO observatory. It is a false-color composite of three images, all made in extreme ultraviolet light.
Heavy matte paper, about 200 gsm, printed in the United States and shipped free. The card stays free, the print is the thing you keep.
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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 2002 · Sahara, Algeria 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 2002 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 2002.
Questions about December 21, 2002
What space photo was released on December 21, 2002?
NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day for December 21, 2002 was "Solstice Celebration". It's the card at the top of this page.
What was the Moon's phase on December 21, 2002?
A waning gibbous moon, about 96% lit.
What day of the week was December 21, 2002?
December 21, 2002 was a Saturday, day 355 of the 365 days in 2002.
Was there a meteor shower on December 21, 2002?
Yes: the Ursid shower, peaks tomorrow.
What did the Sun and the Earth look like on December 21, 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.