659 Nestor

Also known as (659) Nestor, Nestor

Jupiter trojan

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: M. F. Wolf
Discovery site: Heidelberg Obs.
Discovery date: 23 March 1908
Pronunciation: / ˈ n ɛ s t ər /
Named after: Nestor ( Greek mythology )
Alternative designations: 1908 CS · A914 WF

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Article

659 Nestor /ˈnɛstər/ is a dark Jupiter trojan from the Greek camp, approximately 110 kilometers (68 miles) in diameter. It was discovered on 23 March 1908, by German astronomer Max Wolf at Heidelberg Observatory in southern Germany, and named after King Nestor from Greek mythology. The carbonaceous Jovian asteroid belongs to the 20 largest Jupiter trojans and has a rotation period of 15.98 hours.

Orbit and classification