Are the cosmos sending us a message? Or, rather… an emoji? It appears so as the moon and two stars will align to form a bright smiley face in the night sky tonight, Thursday, May 29, 2025.
According to Space.com, the smiley face will be formed by the moon, which will be a slender crescent shape reminiscent of a mouth, and two of the brightest stars in the constellation Gemini, Castor and Pollux. These stars will look like the eyes.
Space lovers will appreciate knowing that Pollux is a giant red star “with a brightness similar to Mars,” Space.com reports, whereas Castor is a six-star system that’s not as bright. Both are approximately 48.9 light years away from Earth, NASA says. But tonight, you’ll be able to see them from the U.S. about 45 minutes after sunset right above the western horizon.
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You’ll have roughly three hours to enjoy this rare cosmic grin before it dips below the horizon around midnight local time.
To see it, look for the moon, which will be about 20 degrees above the horizon, then the two “eyes” about 5 degrees above it.
“Remember, an easy way to measure distances between celestial objects is to hold your upturned fist at arms length against the night sky,” writes Space.com’s Anthony Wood. “The space between your thumb and the other side of your hand will cover roughly 10 degrees.”
NASA
How to See Tonight’s ‘Smiley Face’ From Major U.S. Cities:
For a prime viewing experience, head to an open area with a clear view of the western sky—and use a stargazing app like Sky Guide or Stellarium to locate Castor and Pollux.
Specifically, here’s when to start looking for the cosmic ‘smiley face’ from popular U.S. cities:
- New York City: Sunset is at 8:19 PM ET, so aim to start watching around 9:00 PM.
- Los Angeles: Look up around 8:15 PM PT, following a sunset at 7:59 PM.
- Chicago: Sunset is at 8:18 PM CT, with the best viewing starting near 9:00 PM.
- Boston: Sunset happens at 8:10 PM ET, so plan to view by 8:55 PM.
- Atlanta: Look west after 8:40 PM ET (sunset at 8:35 PM).
- Dallas: Sunset is at 8:29 PM CT, so prime time begins around 9:15 PM.
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So grab a blanket, step outside, and get ready to see space smiling down on you for about three glorious hours tonight (weather permitting).
The “eyes” will be the last part of the rare smiley face to vanish from view right around midnight, which means you were lucky enough to catch the last of this rare celestial event.
Content shared from bestlifeonline.com.