Close Quarters In The Western Sky

Dazzling planets at top Jupiter (left) and Venus provided a spectacle of close formation in the western sky around 8:56 PM, Monday, March 12, 2012 in this image seen from grounds just west of Christ Community United Methodist Church in Marion, Iowa. The display was one of three consecutive days the planetary pair was situated just three degrees from one another. This image, a 20-second exposure at f/9, 1600 ISO and 26mm focal length, looks toward the neighboring city of Cedar Rapids. The water tower located near the intersection of Boyson Road and C Avenue NE is seen at extreme left. Jupiter shone at magnitude -2.12, and Venus at -4.27.