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
- K. Reinmuth
- Discovery site
- Heidelberg Obs.
- Discovery date
- 17 February 1950
- Named after
- Anneliese Schnell, (astronomer)
- Alternative designations
- 1950 DL · 1969 LE, 1977 SF · 1980 JN
- Minor planet category
- main-belt · background
~3 min read
Article
2572 Annschnell, provisional designation 1950 DL, is a background asteroid from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 10 kilometers in diameter.
It was discovered on 17 February 1950, by German astronomer Karl Reinmuth at Heidelberg Observatory in southwest Germany, and named after Austrian astronomer Anneliese Schnell.