... 9.09.1999 . ... In astronomical parlance, an interior planet is at superior conjunction when it is located on the opposite side of the Sun from Earth. ... Water Found in Space Rock . ... Orbiting closer to the Sun than planet Earth, bright Venus always appears to be near the Sun's position in our sky and often shines near the horizon in twilight hours. ... Nearly four kilometers across, the huge rock known as 1999 JM8 silently passed only 8.5 million kilometers from the Earth in early August. ...