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
- A. Schmitt
- Discovery site
- Uccle Obs.
- Discovery date
- 15 March 1952
- Named after
- Jean Chacornac , (astronomer)
- Alternative designations
- 1952 EA · 1932 DD, 1933 UX · 1939 KE, 1942 EB 1 · 1949 KF, 1952 DP 2 · 1953 TM 1
- Minor planet category
~3 min read
Article
1622 Chacornac (provisional designation 1952 EA) is a stony Flora asteroid from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 9 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 15 March 1952, by French astronomer Alfred Schmitt at the Royal Observatory of Belgium in Uccle, and named after astronomer Jean Chacornac.
Orbit and classification