Rare ‘smiley face’ planet alignment to light up night sky this week
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When and how to see this week’s rare ‘smiley face’ planet alignment
- The Moon, Venus, and Saturn will align this week, creating a “smiley face” formation in the night sky.
- This rare alignment will be visible for about an hour around 5:30am on Friday.
- Venus and Saturn will form the “eyes” while the crescent moon acts as the “smile”.
- The Lyrid meteor shower, one of the oldest recorded, will also peak this week, with up to 15 meteors per hour visible under dark skies.
- For optimal viewing of both events, find a dark location away from bright lights and look towards the east.