Q122762

Also known as (864) Aase, Aase

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.

Key facts

Discovered by: K. Reinmuth
Discovery site: Heidelberg
Discovery date: 30 September 1921
Pronunciation: English: / ˈ ɔː s ə / AW -sə , Norwegian: [ ˈôːsə ]
Alternative designations: A921 SB; 1944 RC;, 1967 RA1; 1970 PC
Observation arc: 94.55 yr (34533 days)

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Article

864 Aase is an S-type asteroid belonging to the Flora family in the Main Belt.

The object A917 CB discovered 13 February 1917, by Max Wolf was named 864 Aase, and the object 1926 XB discovered 7 December 1926, by Karl Reinmuth was named 1078 Mentha. In 1958 it was established that these were one and the same object. In 1974, this was resolved by keeping the name 1078 Mentha and reusing the name and number 864 Aase for the object 1921 KE, discovered 30 September 1921, by Karl Reinmuth. Aase refers to Åse, the mother of Peer Gynt, the character from Henrik Ibsen's play Peer Gynt.