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
- K. Reinmuth
- Discovery site
- Heidelberg Obs.
- Discovery date
- 17 February 1950
- Named after
- Jens (discoverer's grandson)
- Alternative designations
- 1950 DP · 1939 PP, 1939 TD · 1941 BB, 1948 RQ · 1948 RS 1 , 1948 TS 1 · 1961 TZ 1 , A922 SC
- Minor planet category
~3 min read
Article
1719 Jens (prov. designation: 1950 DP) is a background asteroid from the central region of the asteroid belt, approximately 19 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 17 February 1950, by German astronomer Karl Reinmuth at Heidelberg Observatory in southern Germany. It was named after a grandson of the discoverer.
Orbit and classification