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
- C. Shoemaker , E. Shoemaker
- Discovery site
- Palomar Obs.
- Discovery date
- 26 May 1984
- Pronunciation
- / ˈ p ɛər ɪ s /
- Named after
- Paris (Greek mythology)
- Alternative designations
- 1984 KF · 1963 QD, 1982 BN 3 · 1982 DC
~4 min read
Article
3317 Paris, provisional designation 1984 KF, is a large Jupiter trojan from the Trojan camp, approximately 119 kilometers (74 miles) in diameter. It was discovered on 26 May 1984 by American astronomer couple Carolyn and Eugene Shoemaker at Palomar Observatory in California, United States. The unusual and likely spherical T-type asteroid is one of the largest Jupiter trojans and has a rotation period of 7.1 hours. It was named after Trojan prince Paris from Greek mythology.
Orbit and classification