239 Adrastea
Also known as (239) Adrastea, Adrastea
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.
© Marek Nikodem (PPSAE) · via NASA APOD
Key facts
- Discovered by
- Johann Palisa
- Discovery date
- 18 August 1884
- Pronunciation
- / æ d r ə ˈ s t iː ə /
- Named after
- Adrasteia
- Alternative designations
- A884 QA, 1915 TD, 1955 MK 1 , 1956 UJ
- Minor planet category
- Main belt
~1 min read
Article
Orbit of Adrastea (blue ring)
239 Adrastea is a main belt asteroid. It was discovered by Johann Palisa on 18 August 1884 in Vienna, and was named after the Greek nymph Adrasteia. This asteroid is orbiting the Sun at a distance of 2.97 AU with a period of 5.11 years and an eccentricity (ovalness) of 0.23. The orbital plane is tilted at an angle of 6.17° to the plane of the ecliptic.