This is the best image I got of the Jupiter/Venus gathering in March 2012.  This was taken from the Chancellorsville Battlefield west of Fredericksburg, VA on the evening of March 6.  On this evening, Jupiter was magnitude -2.19 while Venus blazed away at magnitude -4.24, separated by 6°47'53", made a bit more so by the fact that Jupiter was well below the ecliptic while Venus was quite a bit north of it. Their conjunction later in March would not be especially close.