Q139442

Also known as (146) Lucina, Lucina

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: Alphonse Borrelly
Discovery date: 8 June 1875
Pronunciation: / l uː ˈ s aɪ n ə / or as Latin Lūcīna
Alternative designations: A875 LC; 1950 CY
Minor planet category: Main belt
Observation arc: 130.35 yr (47610 d)

~1 min read

Article

146 Lucina is a main-belt asteroid that was discovered by Alphonse Borrelly on June 8, 1875. It was named after Lucina, the Roman goddess of childbirth. This asteroid is large, dark and has a carbonaceous composition. The spectra of the asteroid displays evidence of aqueous alteration.

This body is orbiting the Sun at a distance of 2.72 AU with a low eccentricity of 0.07 and an orbital period of 4.48 years. The orbital plane is inclined at an angle of 13.1° to the plane of the ecliptic. Photometric observations of this asteroid made during 1979 and 1981 gave a light curve with a period of 18.54 hours.