Q150202
Also known as (284) Amalia, Amalia
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.
© Marek Nikodem (PPSAE) · via NASA APOD
Key facts
- Discovered by
- Auguste Charlois
- Discovery date
- 29 May 1889
- Pronunciation
- / ə ˈ m ɑː l i ə /
- Alternative designations
- A889 KA
- Minor planet category
- Main belt
- Observation arc
- 122.66 yr (44,800 d)
Article
284 Amalia is a large main belt asteroid. It was discovered by Auguste Charlois on 29 May 1889 in Nice. This is classified as a Ch-type asteroid in the Bus taxonomy and CX in the Tholen system. It has been observed occulting stars on five occasions as of 2018, which provide a diameter estimate of 54±3 km via a fitted ellipse plot.
References