The sky on
your birthday.
“The Fainting of Betelgeuse” is copyrighted by Jimmy Westlake. NASA has permission to show it and we don't, so it isn't on this card.
See it on NASA's siteBetelgeuse, a red supergiant in the constellation Orion, has been noticeably dimming. In this image from December 2019, Betelgeuse no longer strongly rivals the blue supergiant Rigel in brightness. This change is visible to skygazers and has sparked discussion about the star's future.
The Sun on 2 January 2020
NASA SDO took this picture on 2 January 2020, 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.
Prints are coming soon. The card is free to save and share in the meantime.
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 2 January 2020 See it as a poster -
The Earth on your day The Earth on 2 January 2020 · Red Sea See it as a poster -
Released on 2 January 2012 Smoke without fire: a different view of the cigar galaxy See it as a poster -
Released on 2 January 2020 - A view of the Germination of ABI Voyager Barley Seeds in Microgravity CubeLab aboard the International Space Station See it as a poster -
Released on 2 January 2023 The city lights of Mumbai, India, on the coast of the Arabian Sea are pictured from the International Space Station See it as a poster -
Released on 2 January 2018 Unexpected X-Rays from Perseus Galaxy Cluster See it as a poster -
Released on 2 January 2007 Light from the First Stars See it as a poster
In tropical astrology, 2 JAN 2020 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 2 JAN 2020.
Questions about January 2, 2020
What space photo was released on January 2, 2020?
NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day for January 2, 2020 was "The Fainting of Betelgeuse". 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 January 2, 2020?
A first quarter moon, about 43% lit.
What day of the week was January 2, 2020?
January 2, 2020 was a Thursday, day 2 of the 366 days in 2020.
Was there a meteor shower on January 2, 2020?
Yes: the Quadrantid shower, peaks in 2 days.
What did the Sun and the Earth look like on January 2, 2020?
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.