Picture of the Day · NASA
Jupiter and Venus from Earth
2026-06-07
It was visible around the world. The sunset conjunction of Jupiter (left) and Venus (right) in 2012 was visible almost no matter where you lived on Earth. Anyone on our planet with a clear western horizon at sunset could see them. That year, a creative photographer traveled away from the town lights of Szubin, Poland to photograph a near closest approach of the two planets. The bright planets were then separated by only three degrees and his daughter struck a humorous pose. A faint red sunset still glowed in the background. Jupiter and Venus are together again this week after sunset, passing within a degree of each other about two days from today.
© Marek Nikodem (PPSAE) · via NASA APOD
Key facts
- Discovered by
- L. Volta
- Discovery site
- Pino Torinese Obs.
- Discovery date
- 30 March 1929
- Named after
- Fasces Lictores , (Symbol of fascism )
- Alternative designations
- 1929 FB · A909 UB, A917 DF · A924 KC
- Minor planet category
- main-belt · ( outer ) , Hygiea
~4 min read
Article
1107 Lictoria (prov. designation: 1929 FB) is a large Hygiea asteroid, approximately 79 kilometers (49 miles) in diameter, from the outer regions of the asteroid belt. It was discovered by Luigi Volta at the Pino Torinese Observatory in 1929, and named after the Fasces Lictores, Latin for "Fasci Littori", the symbol of the Italian fascist party.
Discovery