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
- 29 September 1924
- Pronunciation
- / ə ˈ m eɪ t ə /
- Named after
- Amata ( Roman mythology )
- Alternative designations
- 1924 SW · 1935 SU, 1969 TJ 4 · A913 UC
~3 min read
Article
1035 Amata /əˈmeɪtə/ is a carbonaceous asteroid from the outer region of the asteroid belt, approximately 57 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered by German astronomer Karl Reinmuth at Heidelberg Observatory in southern Germany on 29 September 1924 and assigned the provisional designation 1924 SW. It was probably named after Amata from Roman mythology.
Classification and orbit