808 Merxia
Also known as (808) Merxia, Merxia
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
- Luigi Carnera
- Discovery site
- Heidelberg Observatory
- Discovery date
- 11 October 1901
- Alternative designations
- 1901 GY
- Minor planet category
- main belt Merxia
- Observation arc
- 114.45 yr (41803 d)
Article
808 Merxia is a minor planet orbiting the Sun. It forms the namesake for the Merxia family of asteroids that share common orbital elements and physical properties. A semimajor axis of 2.75 AU with a moderate orbital eccentricity of 0.126 carries it from 2.40 to 3.09 AU away from the Sun with a period of 4.55 years. Its orbital plane is inclined at an angle of 4.7° relative to the plane of the ecliptic.
The spectrum of this object indicates that it is an S-type asteroid with both low and high calcium forms of pyroxene on the surface, along with less than 20% olivine. The high-calcium form of pyroxene forms 40% or more of the total pyroxene present, indicating a history of igneous rock deposits. This suggests that the asteroid underwent differentiation by melting, creating a surface of basalt rock.