In the early morning hours of April 25 (Friday), a rare alignment of Venus, Saturn, and the crescent Moon will create a “smiley face” in the eastern sky. For photographers, it’s a brief chance to capture a celestial pareidolia.
The event kicks off around 5:30 AM EST and lasts for about an hour before sunrise washes it out. During that window, Venus and Saturn will act as the “eyes” of the smile, with Venus slightly higher. The crescent Moon will form a curved “mouth” just below them and to the north.
On the morning of Friday, April 25, 2025, a rare celestial event known as a triple conjunction will occur, where Venus, Saturn, and the crescent moon will align closely in the predawn sky, forming a triangular pattern resembling a smiley face. This alignment will be visible near… pic.twitter.com/UW2rb12ncb
— Erika (@ExploreCosmos_) April 18, 2025
“Anyone wanting to try for a glimpse of the conjunction should find a clear eastern horizon from which to observe,” NASA Solar System Ambassador Brenda Culbertson tells Kansas news station KSNT.
While visible to the naked eye, photographers might prefer a telephoto lens or even a telescope set up to highlight the fine features of the Moon’s crescent and the positioning of the planets.
Popular Science reports that depending on the viewer’s geographic location, Mercury could also be faintly visible beneath the main alignment, but for many, it will remain below the horizon.
This smiley face isn’t region-locked like some sky events — viewers across much of the globe should be able to see it, provided skies are clear.
Photographers planning to document the alignment may want to scout a location in advance with an unobstructed view to the east. Wide-angle shots could frame the celestial trio with foreground elements like trees, mountains, or city skylines, while zoomed-in compositions might focus purely on the planetary details.
This event also follows closely on the heels of the Lyrid meteor shower, which peaks between April 21 and 22. Night photographers working those hours could spot up to 15 meteors per hour under dark skies, making for a packed week of sky action.
Image credits: Header photo licensed via Depositphotos.
