Q152790
Also known as (415) Palatia, Palatia
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
- Max Wolf
- Discovery date
- 7 February 1896
- Pronunciation
- / p ə ˈ l eɪ ʃ ə / pə- LAY -shə
- Named after
- Electorate of the Palatinate
- Alternative designations
- 1896 CO
- Minor planet category
- Main belt
Article
415 Palatia is a large main belt asteroid that was discovered by German astronomer Max Wolf on 7 February 1896 in Heidelberg.
10μ radiometric data collected from Kitt Peak in 1975 gave an overly large diameter estimate of 93 km. It has a very low radiometric albedo of 0.026 and the spectrum suggests a metal-rich enstatite composition.