A Rare ‘Smiley-Face’ Will Be Visible in Maine This Week

This rare planetary alignment involving the Moon will create a phenomenon visible in the skies over our Pine Tree State this week.

When rare natural events happen—like eclipses or meteor showers—there’s this rush of urgency, right? You suddenly need to know the when and the where before it’s over, and the why can wait, because nothing’s worse than realizing you missed it and everyone else saw it but you.

So, what exactly is this ‘smiley-face,’ what causes it to happen, and what will we be looking at when it appears?

According to BBC’s Sky at Night Magazine, this particular ‘smiley face’ is a rare celestial alignment happening this week, where the crescent Moon, Venus, and Saturn will appear close together in the morning sky. In this instance, the Moon forms the sideways 'smile,' with Venus acting as the right eye and Saturn as the left.

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With that established, when will this alignment of the Moon, Venus, and Saturn be visible here in Maine, and where should we look?

Venus and the crescent Moon will rise together just before sunrise on the morning of Friday, April 25th, creating the illusion of a 'smiley face' in the sky—again, according to BBC’s Sky at Night Magazine. In Maine, the best time to view it will be around 5:30 a.m., while looking toward the eastern horizon where the Sun will rise—just make sure there are no trees, buildings, or other obstructions blocking your view.

While Venus and the Moon should be easy to spot with clear skies and a good view of the eastern horizon, Saturn is a different story.

It’s much fainter, rises later, and sits low in the sky, making it difficult to see as it gets lost in the glare of the approaching sunrise.

There you have it: this rare phenomenon, where the Moon, Venus, and Saturn align to resemble a smiley face, will be visible on the morning of April 25th.

Have you ever seen or heard of anything like this before? Will you be setting your alarm to try and catch it for yourself? We’d love to hear from you! Feel free to join the conversation by messaging us on the app.

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