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
- Indiana University , ( Indiana Asteroid Program )
- Discovery site
- Goethe Link Obs.
- Discovery date
- 30 March 1952
- Named after
- Frank Edmondson , (American astronomer)
- Alternative designations
- 1952 FN · 1940 BC, 1950 XP · 1952 HT, 1955 US · 1969 JK, 1978 WY
- Minor planet category
~3 min read
Article
1761 Edmondson, provisional designation 1952 FN, is a dark background asteroid from the outer regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 21 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 30 March 1952, by the Indiana Asteroid Program at Goethe Link Observatory, United States. It was named after astronomer Frank Edmondson.
Orbit and classification