Q155319
Also known as (538) Friederike, Friederike
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
- Paul Götz
- Discovery date
- 18 July 1904
- Pronunciation
- German: [ fʁiːdəˈʁiːkə ]
- Alternative designations
- 1904 OK
- Minor planet category
- Main belt ( Hygiea family )
- Observation arc
- 111.70 yr (40800 d)
~1 min read
Article
538 Friederike is a minor planet (an asteroid specifically) orbiting in the asteroid belt. It is a member of the Hygiea family of asteroids.
Photometric observations at the Organ Mesa Observatory in New Mexico during 2012 showed a rotation period of 46.728 ± 0.004 hours with a brightness variation of 0.25 ± 0.02 in magnitude.