The sky on
your birthday.
“The Umbra of Earth” is copyrighted by Wang, Letian. NASA has permission to show it and we don't, so it isn't on this card.
See it on NASA's siteThe dark, inner shadow of planet Earth is called the umbra. It is shaped like a cone extending into space. Its circular cross section is most easily seen during a lunar eclipse. Last Saturday, the Full Moon slid across the southern half of Earth's umbral shadow. The Moon was completely within the umbra for 51 minutes, as recorded from Beijing, China.
The Sun on 15 December 2011
NASA SDO took this picture on 15 December 2011, 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 Sun on your day The Sun on 15 December 2011 See it as a poster -
The Earth on your day The Earth on 15 December 2011 · Nile Delta and Sinai See it as a poster -
Released on 15 December 2008 The Southern Hemisphere of Enceladus See it as a poster -
Released on 15 December 2011 Hubble/Subaru composite of star-forming region S 106 See it as a poster -
Released on 15 December 2009 Hubble's festive view of a grand star-forming region See it as a poster -
Released on 15 December 2011 Wide-field view of the sky around NGC 253 See it as a poster -
Released on 15 December 2023 Rho Ophiuchi cloud complex See it as a poster
In tropical astrology, 15 DEC 2011 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 15 DEC 2011.
Questions about December 15, 2011
What space photo was released on December 15, 2011?
NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day for December 15, 2011 was "The Umbra of 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 15, 2011?
A waning gibbous moon, about 74% lit.
What day of the week was December 15, 2011?
December 15, 2011 was a Thursday, day 349 of the 365 days in 2011.
Was there a meteor shower on December 15, 2011?
Yes: the Geminid shower, peaked yesterday.
What did the Sun and the Earth look like on December 15, 2011?
NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory photographed the Sun that day, and NASA's Terra satellite photographed the whole Earth. Both are 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.