According to NASA, a rare celestial event will occur on the morning of April 25th. The event, called a triple conjunction, will see Venus, Saturn, and the crescent moon appear close together in the predawn sky, creating a formation that will resemble a giant smiley face.

Smile in the Sky

Occurring just days after the Lyrids meteor shower lights up the night skies, a conjunction is when two or more celestial objects appear close together in the night sky. As the name suggests, a triple conjunction involves three celestial objects.

The celestial phenomenon can be found on the eastern horizon just before sunrise. Though both planets will be bright and easy to see with the naked eye, a backyard telescope or stargazing binoculars will allow you to spot the spectacle in more detail.

Though Mercury may also be visible below the smile in the sky, it will appear lower in the sky, so it may not be visible everywhere.

“Venus is higher above the eastern horizon with Saturn lower, and a thin, crescent Moon a bit lower and a little farther north,” NASA Solar System Ambassador Brenda Culbertson told local Kansas TV station KSNT. “The thin, crescent Moon looks like a smile. To some people, the triangle of bright objects may appear as a smiley face.”

According to Culbertson, Venus will be the higher of the two “eyes” with Saturn slightly lower and the crescent moon lower and farther north.

Under prime viewing conditions, stargazers should be able to spot the phenomenon from anywhere in the world within the narrow window of time it will appear in the sky. Culbertson stated the alignment will move into position at 5:30 AM EST on April 25th and will end one hour later when the sun rises.

“Anyone wanting to try for a glimpse of the conjunction should find a clear eastern horizon from which to observe,” Culbertson said.

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