245 Vera
Also known as (245) Vera, Vera
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
- N. R. Pogson
- Discovery date
- 6 February 1885
- Pronunciation
- / ˈ v ɪər ə /
- Alternative designations
- A885 CA, 1919 HB
- Minor planet category
- Main belt
- Observation arc
- 131.06 yr (47,869 d)
Article
245 Vera is a large Main belt asteroid. It was discovered by N. R. Pogson on February 6, 1885, in Madras, and was named at the suggestion of his wife. The asteroid orbits the Sun at a distance of 3.11 AU with a period of 5.47 years and an eccentricity (ovalness) of 0.19. The orbital plane is tilted at an angle of 5.16° to the plane of the ecliptic. In 1890, Daniel Kirkwood noted that this asteroid shares similar orbital elements with 86 Semele and 106 Dione.
Photometric measurements of this asteroid made during 1980–1981 were used to produce a light curve that demonstrated a rotation period of 14.38±0.03 h with a brightness variation of 0.26±0.01 in magnitude. It is classified as a stony S-type asteroid in the Tholen system. The asteroid has an estimated diameter of 75.95±2.63 km based on near infrared observations.