Q154636
Also known as (477) Italia, Italia
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
- Luigi Carnera
- Discovery site
- Heidelberg
- Discovery date
- 23 August 1901
- Pronunciation
- / ɪ ˈ t æ l i ə /
- Named after
- Italy
- Alternative designations
- 1901 GR; A905 UK
~1 min read
Article
477 Italia (1901 GR) is a main-belt asteroid that was discovered on 23 August 1901 by Italian astronomer Luigi Carnera at Heidelberg.
Photometric observations of this asteroid collected in 2005 gave a provisional rotation period of 19.4189 hours and a brightness variation of about 0.2 in magnitude.