Smiley face in UAE skies? Experts explain viral social media posts
Social media pages have been abuzz with news that a rare smiley face will be seen in the sky on April 25 — thanks to an alignment of Venus, Saturn and the moon. But is the sky really going to smile on us? Or is it all just a hyped-up tale?
UAE astronomers clarified that while there be a visible alignment of these celestial bodies, its appearance will vary depending on time and the observer's location.
In the UAE and across the Middle East, the event will occur before sunrise on April 25, and "will appear as a relatively straight line in the sky — rather than resembling a smiley face," according to Ibrahim Ghounaimat, member of International Astronomical Centre.
"The media coverage has overgeneralised, referencing a configuration that might resemble a smile only in very specific locations," according to Khadija Al Hariri, operations manager at Dubai Astronomy Group.
As seen in the images below, Venus is high above, Saturn is on the side, and the Moon is a thin crescent near the horizon. There is no curvature in their arrangement, "so this definitely isn't a smiley face alignment in the UAE," she added.
"Observers in parts of West Africa, North America, and South America may witness an alignment that loosely resembles a smiley face," Ibrahim said.
So what is really happening in the sky? According to Nasa, around April 24 and 25, skywatchers can see Venus, Saturn, and the crescent moon gathered low in the east. If observers have a clear, unobstructed view of the horizon, they might also be able to see Mercury very low in the sky.
However, the apparent distance between Venus and Saturn, compared to the crescent Moon, is relatively wide — so it "will not form a tight smiley face," Ibrahim added.
While UAE residents can not see the "smiley face," residents watched the Lyrid meteor shower light up the skies from April 21 to 22, and a pink moon earlier in the month, with April being full of celestial wonders.
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