Rare smiley face will light up Pittsburgh-area sky on Friday morning

The moon, Saturn and Venus will create a rare smiley face in the sky later this week.

Sometimes things line up in fun ways. That is set to happen early Friday morning in the night sky as the moon, Venus and Saturn will line up to create what will look like a smiley face.  

Venus and Saturn will be in just the correct spot in their revolution around the sun to match up with the waning crescent moon, making the smiley face appear.

When will the smiley face in the sky be visible?

Everything is expected to line up Friday morning around 5:30 a.m.

If you are lucky enough to see it, you will need to tilt your head or rotate the photo a bit to make this truly look like a smile. The rare event will be visible to the naked eye, but a pair of binoculars or a telescope will enhance the view. 

Weather forecast for Friday’s smiley face in the sky 

With rain approaching Western Pennsylvania, KDKA First Alert Meteorologist Ray Petelin is not sure the weather will want to cooperate, which will make for many frowns on Earth.

Celestial events in 2025

Friday’s alignment is the latest celestial event this year. The Lyrid meteor shower peaked overnight Monday into Tuesday morning, while March featured a total lunar eclipse, a Blood Moon and a partial solar eclipse.

Later this year, the Perseid meteor shower will peak between Aug. 12 and Aug. 13. NASA calls it the “best meteor shower of the year.”