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
- 2 September 1929
- Pronunciation
- / ə ˈ k aɪ ə / , / ə ˈ k eɪ ə /
- Named after
- Achaea (Greek region)
- Alternative designations
- 1929 RB · 1955 SZ 1
~4 min read
Article
1150 Achaia (/əˈkaɪə/); prov. designation: 1929 RB) is a stony background asteroid from the inner regions of the asteroid belt. It was discovered by Karl Reinmuth at Heidelberg Observatory on 2 September 1929. The S-type asteroid has a notably long rotation period of hours 61 hours and measures approximately 7.8 kilometers (4.8 miles) in diameter. It is named for the Greek region of Achaia.
Discovery