小行星2002

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

T. Smirnova

Discovery site

Crimean Astrophysical Obs.

Discovery date

29 August 1973

Pronunciation

/ ˈ ɔɪ l ər /

Named after

Leonhard Euler , (Swiss mathematician)

Alternative designations

1973 QQ 1 · 1938 DW, 1942 GJ · 1953 EB, 1973 SJ 2