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
- 3 August 1937
- Pronunciation
- / ˌ d aɪ ə ˈ m iː d iː z /
- Named after
- Diomedes , (Greek mythology)
- Alternative designations
- 1937 PB · 1931 DN, 1936 PQ · 1971 RD
Article
1437 Diomedes /ˌdaɪəˈmiːdiːz/ is a large Jupiter trojan from the Greek camp, approximately 150 kilometers (90 miles) in diameter. It was discovered on 3 August 1937, by astronomer Karl Reinmuth at the Heidelberg-Königstuhl State Observatory in southwest Germany. The dark D/P-type asteroid belongs to the largest Jupiter trojans and has a notably elongated shape and a longer than average rotation period of 24.49 hours. Diomedes was the first Jupiter trojan successfully observed during an occultation event of star. It was named after the hero Diomedes from Greek mythology.
Orbit and classification