156 Xanthippe

Also known as (156) Xanthippe, Xanthippe

main-belt asteroid

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.

Key facts

Discovered by: J. Palisa
Discovery site: Austrian Naval Obs.
Discovery date: 22 November 1875
Pronunciation: / z æ n ˈ θ ɪ p iː /
Named after: Xanthippe , (wife of Socrates )
Alternative designations: A875 WA; 1901 SA;, 1902 VA; 1936 FG 1 ;, 1942 RP; 1949 BN

Article

156 Xanthippe is a dark background asteroid from the central regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 120 kilometers (75 miles) in diameter. It was discovered on 22 November 1875, by Austrian astronomer Johann Palisa at the Austrian Naval Observatory, in what is now Croatia. It is named after Xanthippe, the wife of the Greek philosopher Socrates.

Orbit and classification