Celestial Smiley Face to Brighten the Sky This Friday Morning

Chicago, IL — Early Friday morning, skywatchers will be treated to a rare sight as the moon, Venus, and Saturn align to create what looks like a smiley face in the sky. This celestial event is scheduled to occur around 4:30 a.m. CDT, just before sunrise.

The alignment of the waning crescent moon with the planets is part of a phenomenon known as a ‘Triple Conjunction.’ ‘Venus is higher above the eastern horizon with Saturn lower, and a thin crescent Moon a bit lower and a little farther north,’ said NASA Solar System Ambassador Brenda Culbertson. ‘To some people, the triangle of bright objects may appear as a smiley face.’

Visibility for this event is expected to be good for those in clear skies. However, KDKA First Alert Meteorologist Ray Petelin warns that rain is approaching Western Pennsylvania, which might obscure views of this rare occurrence.

The smiley face will not be visible for long, as the sun will rise about an hour later, causing the phenomenon to disappear. Viewers may need to tilt their heads or adjust their photographs to truly capture the smile when they see it in the sky.

In addition to the smiley face, sky enthusiasts can enjoy the fading Lyrid meteor shower and the active Eta Aquarids meteor shower, which began on April 19 and will peak in early May. The Lyrid meteor shower produced 10 to 20 meteors per hour during its peak and will still share the sky with the Eta Aquarids for a few more nights.

Anyone interested in stargazing should plan to look upward from sunset to sunrise to catch the meteor showers and the celestial smiley face.