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
- C. Jackson
- Discovery site
- Johannesburg Obs.
- Discovery date
- 30 June 1935
- Named after
- Benguela , (city in Angola)
- Alternative designations
- 1935 MG · 1938 EX, 1950 ON · 1950 QP, 1951 YQ · 1953 FT, 1957 JF · 1957 MH, 1968 HY · 1969 UU 1
- Minor planet category
~2 min read
Article
1784 Benguella, provisional designation 1935 MG, is a background asteroid from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) in diameter. It was discovered by South African astronomer Cyril Jackson at the Johannesburg Observatory on 30 June 1935. It was named for the city of Benguela in Angola. The low-numbered asteroid has been studied poorly.
Orbit and classification