The sky on
your birthday.
“Fox Fur, Unicorn, and Christmas Tree” is copyrighted by Michael Miller. NASA has permission to show it and we don't, so it isn't on this card.
See it on NASA's siteGlowing hydrogen gas fills this colorful region in Monoceros, the Unicorn. Cataloged as NGC 2264, this star-forming area is about 2,700 light-years distant. It mixes reddish emission nebulae, excited by energetic light from newborn stars, with dark interstellar dust clouds. Where dust lies close to hot, young stars, it reflects starlight, forming blue reflection nebulae.
The Sun on 24 December 2016
NASA SDO took this picture on 24 December 2016, 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.
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 Sun on your day The Sun on 24 December 2016 See it as a poster -
The Earth on your day The Earth on 24 December 2016 · Atacama and the Andes 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 2008 Earthrise See it as a poster -
Released on 24 December 2005 Earthrise See it as a poster
In tropical astrology, 24 DEC 2016 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 2016.
Questions about December 24, 2016
What space photo was released on December 24, 2016?
NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day for December 24, 2016 was "Fox Fur, Unicorn, and Christmas Tree". 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 24, 2016?
A waning crescent moon, about 23% lit.
What day of the week was December 24, 2016?
December 24, 2016 was a Saturday, day 359 of the 366 days in 2016.
Was there a meteor shower on December 24, 2016?
Yes: the Ursid shower, peaked 2 days ago.
What did the Sun and the Earth look like on December 24, 2016?
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.