Saturn and Venus will form a 'smiley face' with the moon on Friday - here's how to see it

If you fancy seeing the night sky turn into one big emoji, then look up on Friday (April 25), as space experts say the combination of Saturn, Venus and a crescent moon in a rare triple conjunction will form a ‘smiley face’, in an astronomical case of anthropomorphism.

Speaking to Kansas news channel KSNT, Nasa solar system ambassador Brenda Culbertson said: “Venus is higher above the eastern horizon with Saturn lower, and a thin, crescent moon a bit lower and a little farther north.

“The thin crescent moon looks like a smile. To some people, the triangle of bright objects may appear as a smiley face.”

No special equipment is required to view the event, per Culbertson, but the window in which to see it isn’t all that big, as the conjunction will occur at 5:30am local time, with sunrise taking place at around 6:30am

Yuriy_Kulik/iStock

Nasa’s April forecast notes stargazers may also spot Mercury “looking bright, but very low in the sky” if they have a clear view of the horizon.

And that’s not the only astronomical event set to take place in the coming week, as the peak of the Lyrids meteor shower is expected to occur on Tuesday.

According to Thaddeus LaCoursiere, planetarium programme coordinator at the Bell Museum in St Paul, Minnesota, about six meteors an hour will be visible under clear, dark skies.

If you miss that, the next major meteor shower is the Eta Aquarids – expected to peak in early May.

Why not read...

• Alien life could be accessed through a 'portal' discovered on Mars
• Why Katy Perry's all-female space trip isn't as pro-feminist as you'd think

Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter

How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel

Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.