Twilight Twins

The planets Jupiter (lower) and Mercury appear in close proximity to one another as they set in the western sky around 7:50 PM, Friday, March 18, 2011. The sun had set over a half hour earlier. This image was captured from the grounds of Noelridge Christian Church in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Mercury achieved its greatest eastern elongation (farthest evening visual separation from the sun and highest position in the sky) on March 22.