Solar smirk: Rare 'smiley face' planet alignment to appear in sky this week - here's how to see it
22 April 2025, 17:56 | Updated: 22 May 2025, 12:44
Saturn, Venus and the moon will align to form a smiley face in the sky on Friday morning.
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Nasa has said the rare formation will last about an hour at 5.30am on Friday, April 25.
Known as a "conjunction", it's a fairly common occurrence for a planet to be seen close to the moon. Two or more planets, known as a "massing", is much rarer.
Saturn will be the higher of the two “eyes” with Venus below it, and the crescent moon will form the “smile”.
Visible from anywhere in the world, onlookers will need minimal light pollution and an unobstructed view of the eastern horizon to see the phenomenon.
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"Find Venus, Saturn, and the crescent moon gathered low in the east as dawn warms the morning sky," Nasa have said.
“Those with a clear view to the horizon might also pick out Mercury looking bright, but very low in the sky,”
This week is set to be eventful for stargazers, as the Lyrids meteor shower will also peak between Tuesday April 22 and Friday April 25.
How you can see the 'solar smirk'
The best way to see this rare phenomenon is head to the countryside, away from any light pollution.
Occurring on the eastern horizon, you'll need to find a spot with an unobstructed view of the eastern sky.
The formation will also be on its side, so you'll need to tilt your head to the right to see it in its smiliest form.
And finally, for the astro-photographers: a tripod and a zoom lens is recommended. A slower shutter speed and high aperture is best to capture those low light details.
