The sky on
your birthday.
“NGC 660: Polar Ring Galaxy” is copyrighted by Mike Selby. NASA has permission to show it and we don't, so it isn't on this card.
See it on NASA's siteNGC 660 is a rare polar ring galaxy, with two different rings of stars. One ring of bright stars, gas, and dark dust appears nearly vertical. Another similar but shorter ring runs diagonally from the upper left. How polar ring galaxies obtain their striking appearance remains a topic of research. A leading theory suggests it is usually the result of two galaxies with different central rings colliding.
The Sun on 18 December 2024
NASA SDO took this picture on 18 December 2024, 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 18 December 2024 See it as a poster -
The Earth on your day The Earth on 18 December 2024 · Pilbara, Western Australia See it as a poster -
Released on 18 December 2012 Hubble snaps NGC 5189 See it as a poster -
Released on 18 December 2024 Close look at a local galaxy See it as a poster -
Released on 18 December 2024 NGC 2566 (HST image) See it as a poster -
Released on 18 December 2012 Massive Star Makes Waves See it as a poster -
Released on 18 December 2023 Uranus widefield view (NIRCam) See it as a poster
In tropical astrology, 18 DEC 2024 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 18 DEC 2024.
Questions about December 18, 2024
What space photo was released on December 18, 2024?
NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day for December 18, 2024 was "NGC 660: Polar Ring Galaxy". 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 18, 2024?
A waning gibbous moon, about 93% lit.
What day of the week was December 18, 2024?
December 18, 2024 was a Wednesday, day 353 of the 366 days in 2024.
Was there a meteor shower on December 18, 2024?
Yes: the Geminid shower, peaked 4 days ago.
What did the Sun and the Earth look like on December 18, 2024?
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.