The sky on
your birthday.
“Solstice Sun and Milky Way” is copyrighted by Stefan Seip. NASA has permission to show it and we don't, so it isn't on this card.
See it on NASA's siteThis image marks December's solstice, the start of winter in the north and summer in the south. The Sun reaches its maximum southern declination of -23.5 degrees, placing it in the constellation Sagittarius. Solstice and equinox dates are astronomical markers based on the Sun's annual journey along the ecliptic through Earth's sky.
The Sun on 21 December 2017
NASA SDO took this picture on 21 December 2017, 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.
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The Sun on your day The Sun on 21 December 2017 See it as a poster -
The Earth on your day The Earth on 21 December 2017 · Pilbara, Western Australia 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 2017 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 2017.
Questions about December 21, 2017
What space photo was released on December 21, 2017?
NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day for December 21, 2017 was "Solstice Sun and Milky Way". 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 21, 2017?
A waxing crescent moon, about 10% lit.
What day of the week was December 21, 2017?
December 21, 2017 was a Thursday, day 355 of the 365 days in 2017.
Was there a meteor shower on December 21, 2017?
Yes: the Ursid shower, peaks tomorrow.
What did the Sun and the Earth look like on December 21, 2017?
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.