Rare 'smiley face' planetary alignment to form in night sky this week

Triple conjunction will be visible in some parts of the world on Friday morning

A 'smiley face' alignment seen from Beijing, China, in 2023. Getty Images

A “smiley face” planetary alignment will light up skies across the world this Friday.

Known as a triple conjunction, the celestial event will bring Venus, Saturn and the crescent Moon into a triangular formation near the horizon.

The two planets will act as the eyes, while the crescent will form the mouth, said Nasa solar system ambassador Brenda Culbertson. Venus will be the brighter of the two planet.

The alignment will be visible for about an hour to anyone from Europe, parts of Africa and the Americas. However, it will not be visible from the Gulf region with the naked eye.

“The planets and the Moon will indeed be visible in the UAE sky, but the smiling face formation will not be seen in the UAE or any of the GCC countries,” Ibrahim Al Jarwan, chairman of the Emirates Astronomy Society and member of the Arab Union for Astronomy and Space Sciences, told The National.

He said Venus, Saturn and the waning crescent Moon would rise together in a compact group of no more than three degrees across the sky starting at 4am UAE time.

“The grouping will appear striking in the dawn sky, with the Moon leading ahead of the two planets,” he said. “As of 6am, with sunrise at 5.45am UAE time, the alignment will no longer be visible to the naked eye.”

At about 9am UAE time, the alignment will form a distinct smile-like pattern with Venus and Saturn as the eyes and the crescent Moon as the mouth. “But this will only be visible to observers in far western Europe, parts of Africa and the Americas," he said.

“The smile-shaped alignment will not be visible from the Arabian Gulf or the Arabian Peninsula, but we will still be able to enjoy seeing the bright planets and the crescent Moon before sunrise."

A cosmic week

The Lyrid meteor shower will also reach its peak this week, in the early hours of Wednesday, April 23, offering a chance to witness bright streaks of light dash across the sky.

The Lyrids, which originate from debris left behind by Comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher, are one of the oldest known meteor showers, with records of observations dating back more than 2,600 years.

While not the most intense of meteor showers, they are known for fast-moving meteors and the occasional bright fireball.

The next meteor shower will not be visible in the UAE until August, when the Perseids will light up the night skies. About 100 to 150 meteors are expected to streak across the skies.