Hot off the bright trails of the Green Comet, February 2023 has gifted stargazers another celestial spectacle, with Jupiter and Venus meeting in the night sky.
This coming together of astronomical objects, known as a conjunction, was made even more special for stargazers yesterday evening (26 February), with the Moon visible beside the two planets.
You can take a look at the best images of the conjunction so far below, with astronomers around the world snapping the event.
Better still, you can see it for yourself: as our Venus and Jupiter conjunction 2023 guide explains, the two planets will be less than one degree apart in the sky on 1 and 2 March.
Sent in by teacher and BBC Science Focus reader Mark Orsatti, this image was taken on a phone camera from behind the John A Pigeon library at The Kiski School. Photo by Mark Orsatti
Srinagar, Kashmir, India
The crescent Moon along with the planets Venus and Jupiter are seen during a rare conjunction in Srinagar, India, on the 24 February 2023. Photo by Saqib Majeed/SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty Images
Sheerness, United Kingdom
A conjunction of the crescent Moon with Jupiter and Venus in the night sky above Sheerness, Kent. Photographed on 24 February 2023. Photo by James Bell/Alamy Live News
Paris, France
The beacon of the Eiffel Tower sweeps past the conjunction of Venus and Jupiter on 1 March 2023, as it is seen right above the twin towers of the Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris and the bridge of Louis-Philippe, France. Photo by Yassir Abdulfatah
This view of the Venus-Jupiter conjunction (with the Moon in between) was taken at Cape Point, South Africa on 22 February 2023. The stunning sunset and a lack of light pollution at this remote location really adds to the atmosphere of the image. Photo by Nicole Dale
Istanbul, Turkey
A view of the great conjunction of the crescent Moon, Jupiter and Saturn over the sky in Istanbul, Turkey, on 23 February 2023. Photo by Isa Terli/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
Islamabad, Pakistan
In this image, taken on 23 February 2023, the crescent of a new Moon is seen in conjunction with planets Jupiter and Venus in the sky above Islamabad. Photo by Aamir Qureshi/Getty Images
London, United Kingdom
The planet Jupiter, with two of its moons visible (above), and Venus (below) separated by clouds. Photographed on 26 February 2023. Photo by Malcolm Park/Alamy Live News
Solan, Himachal Pradesh, India
The planets of Venus and Jupiter appear together in this image. Photo by Aarav Mehra
The recent Moon meets Venus and Jupiter, in this image taken on 22 February 2023. Photo by Herbert Raab/Flickr
Goa, India
The crescent Moon, Jupiter and Venus captured in the sky above Colomb Beach, Goa, India, 23 February 2023. Photo by Rae Winfield
L'Aquila, Italy
The planets Jupiter and Venus are seen in conjunction after sunset above LAquila, Italy, on 1 March 2023. Moons (satellites) of Jupiter are also visible in this image. Photo by Lorenzo Di Cola/NurPhoto/Getty Images
Clevedon, United Kingdom
Venus and Jupiter in conjunction on the evening of 2 March 2023. Photographed in Clevedon, United Kingdom. Photo by James Cutmore
Storhogna,Sweden
An image of Venus and Jupiter in conjunction, taken in the hills of Storhogna, Sweden, on 3 March 2023. Photo by Martin Frey
James Cutmore is the picture editor of BBC Science Focus Magazine. He has worked on the magazine and website for over a decade, telling compelling science stories through the use of striking imagery. He holds a degree in Fine Art, and has been nominated for the British Society of Magazine Editors Talent Awards, being highly commended in 2020. His main areas of interest include photography that highlights positive technology and the natural world. For many years he was a judge for the Wellcome Trust's image competition, as well as judging for the Royal Photographic Society.
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