The sky on
your birthday.
Swift RocketCam
A forward-facing RocketCam, mounted inside the payload fairing of a Delta II rocket, captured these dramatic video frames on November 20, 2004. The Swift satellite observatory was journeying to an orbit 600 kilometers above Earth. The sequence shows the fairing separating, the second stage rotating past Earth's limb, and the 1500-kilogram satellite itself separating from the second stage. Swift observes at optical, ultraviolet, and X-ray wavelengths.
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 2004 · Namib Desert 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 2004 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 2004.
Questions about December 24, 2004
What space photo was released on December 24, 2004?
NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day for December 24, 2004 was "Swift RocketCam". It's the card at the top of this page.
What was the Moon's phase on December 24, 2004?
A waxing gibbous moon, about 94% lit.
What day of the week was December 24, 2004?
December 24, 2004 was a Friday, day 359 of the 366 days in 2004.
Was there a meteor shower on December 24, 2004?
Yes: the Ursid shower, peaked 2 days ago.
What did the Sun and the Earth look like on December 24, 2004?
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.