Skywatcher Photos: Venus and Jupiter Come Together in March 2012

Venus and Jupiter Over Lake Superior

Skywatcher Shawn Malone snapped this shot of Venus and Jupiter hanging low over Lake Superior near Eagle Island, Michigan in March 2012.

Jupiter and Venus Above Colorado's Flatiron Mountains

Jupiter and Venus (right) setting behind the Flatiron Mountains near Boulder, Colorado, with the peaks of the Continental Divide in the distance. Skywatcher Patrick Cullis took this photo on March 9, 2012.

Jupiter and Moons Setting Over Colorado Mountains

Jupiter and several of its moons hang over snowcapped Colorado peaks in this photo snapped by skywatcher Patrick Cullis on March 9, 2012.

Venus in the Skies Over Colorado's Flatiron Mountains

Venus hangs low in the sky with Colorado's Flatiron Mountains in the foreground and the peaks of the Continental Divide in the distance. Skywatcher Patrick Cullis snapped the photo on March 9, 2012.

A Swan Glides Beneath Jupiter and Venus

Jim Gemmel of Warrenton, Va., took this picture of Venus and Jupiter on March 10, 2012. "I planned to use the lake as a backdrop but was pleasantly surprised to see the swan who lives there literally get into the picture too," Gemmel told SPACE.com in an email.

Venus and Jupiter Shine Above Mostar, Bosnia-Herzegovina

In this photo, snapped by skywatcher Tolga Bermek on March 12, 2012, Venus and Jupiter shine above the city of Mostar in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Venus and Jupiter Shining Above Saguaros

Jupiter and Venus shine bright in the sky above huge saguaro cacti in this shot taken March 12, 2012 just north of Tucson, Ariz., by skywatcher Bill Cox.

Path of Venus and Jupiter Across the Night Sky

This "stack" shows a compilation of seven photos, one taken just after sunset each day from March 5-11, 2012, by skywatcher Dale Cunningham in Corona, CA. The stack shows the path taken by Venus (right) and Jupiter, beginning at the bottom of the image (the March 11 position of each planet is at the top).

Venus and Jupiter Seen Near Lisbon, Portugal

Jupiter and Venus (right) hang in the sky over Lisbon, Portugal, in this photo snapped by skywatcher Diogo Quirino on March 12, 2012. "In the background one can see the 25th April Bridge, built by the same company that built the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco," Quirino told SPACE.com in an email.

Jupiter and Venus in the Crab's Claws

Skywatcher Brad Mellon of El Centro, Calif., snapped this shot of the two bright planets on March 12, 2012. "Used a lawn ornament for dramatic effect!" he told SPACE.com.

Venus and Jupiter Seen From an Airplane

Skywatchers Imelda B. Joson and Edwin L. Aguirre snapped this shot of Jupiter and Venus (the brighter, lower planet) on March 8, 2012, as they flew on a commercial airliner from Boston to Los Angeles. Joson and Aguirre reckon they were somewhere over Utah when they took the picture.