Q157993

Also known as (917) Lyka, Lyka

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.

Key facts

Discovered by: G. Neujmin
Discovery site: Simeiz Obs.
Discovery date: 5 September 1915
Named after: Lyka, a friend of the discoverer's sister
Alternative designations: A915 RR · 1950 BS, 1951 JJ · 1915 S4, 1915 Σ4
Minor planet category: main-belt · ( inner ) , background

Article

917 Lyka (prov. designation: A915 RR or 1915 S4) is a background asteroid, approximately 32 kilometers (20 miles) in diameter, located in the inner region of the asteroid belt. It was discovered on 5 September 1915, by Russian astronomer Grigory Neujmin at the Simeiz Observatory on the Crimean peninsula. The X-type asteroid has a rotation period of 7.9 hours and is likely spherical in shape. It was named after Lyka, a friend of the discoverer's sister.

Orbit and classification