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
- K. Reinmuth
- Discovery site
- Heidelberg Obs.
- Discovery date
- 12 November 1923
- Named after
- Marlene Dietrich , (German actress and singer)
- Alternative designations
- 1923 PF · 1937 NB 1 , 1950 CJ · 1950 EY, A903 UD · A908 VA, 1923 PF
- Minor planet category
Article
1010 Marlene (prov. designation: A923 VH or 1923 PF) is a carbonaceous background asteroid from the outer regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 47 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 12 November 1923, by astronomer Karl Reinmuth at the Heidelberg-Königstuhl State Observatory in southwest Germany. The asteroid was named after German actress and singer Marlene Dietrich.
Classification and orbit