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
- L. Oterma
- Discovery site
- Turku Obs.
- Discovery date
- 15 October 1941
- Named after
- Julie Vinter Hansen , (astronomer)
- Alternative designations
- 1941 UK · 1928 DO, 1937 RK · 1939 CL, 1948 QT · 1974 YB, A906 DB · A919 UB
- Minor planet category
~3 min read
Article
1544 Vinterhansenia (provisional designation 1941 UK) is a dark asteroid from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 22 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 15 October 1941, by Finnish astronomer Liisi Oterma at Turku Observatory in Southwest Finland, and named for Danish astronomer Julie Vinter Hansen.
Orbit and classification