December 25, 1999
Long before your first heartbeat, stars were busy forging the elements you would one day call your own.
An Earth Ornament
Birthday · December 25, 1999
A little universe, just for you
Your date.
Ready to give.
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APOD published December 25, 1999. Full image credits are on the original APOD entry below. A publication-date match, not a photo taken on your date. Independent of NASA.
The Apollo 8 astronauts spent the 1968 Christmas Season orbiting the Moon, returning with striking images of both Moon and Earth from space - pictures which inspired the world. While in lunar orbit in 1994, the prospecting Clementine spacecraft also turned its cameras toward the home world and the result was this mosaic of 70 high resolution images of our planet from a cosmic perspective. The swirling clouds and dramatic colors give the Earth the appearance of a delicate, painted ornament hanging in space. Best Wishes and Seasons Greetings from Astronomy Picture Of The Day!