25-04-2025
A ‘sad face' in the sky: Singaporeans catch rare ‘smiley' celestial alignment
While many parts of the world would be glimpsing a cheerful celestial smiley face, observers in Singapore instead saw a 'sad face' lighting up the pre-dawn sky. PHOTO: TAN SHARON/FACEBOOK
SINGAPORE - Those in Singapore who looked up at the sky in the early hours of April 25 were treated to a charming – albeit melancholic – astronomical sight.
While many parts of the world would be glimpsing a cheerful celestial smiley face, observers in Singapore instead saw a 'sad face' lighting up the pre-dawn sky.
The phenomenon occurs when the waning crescent moon aligns with V enus and Satur n in the night sky. In many regions, especially across the western hemisphere, the conjunction is expected to resemble a smiling face, with the moon forming the curve of a grin and the two planets positioned like eyes above it.
However, in Singapore, the view told a different story.
Due to the timing and positioning of the alignment relative to this part of the world, the crescent moon appeared inverted – forming the arc of a frown instead of a smile. Venus and Saturn hovered above the moon, acting as the eyes of what many described as a wistful or even winking expression.
Skywatchers also noted that Saturn appeared significantly brighter and larger than Venus, adding to the quirkiness of the scene.
This specific event is a conjunction between Venus and Saturn and is classified as a conjunction between an inferior and a superior planet. According to popular astronomy app Star Walk, su ch alignments o ccur roughly once every 10 years, typically when the inferior planet is in its retrograde phase and the superior planet is near opposition.
Skywatchers across Singapore took to social media to share photos and musings of the unexpected sight.
Ms Tan Sharon shared a photo on Facebook of what she called 'Singapore's version of the rare smiley moon', set against a soft purplish dawn sky.
Ms Anita YK's Facebook photo featured the image of the crescent moon and the two planets forming an upside down frowning face.
'I was told I would see a (smiley face), but I saw a (sad face) instead this morning,' wrote Facebook user Goh Ngaileng on April 25.
Mr Javier Yong-En Lee posted photos of the celestial face and remarked, 'I could see the greyed part of the moon with my naked eyes.'
Heart Panopio, a member of the Cloudspotting and Skyspotting Singapore Facebook group, said she had set an alarm for 5am in anticipation of a smile-like crescent, only to be greeted by a sad face instead.
According to The Weather Network, the cel estial smile is expected to be visible from parts of the US from 5.30pm SGT.
Astronomy enthusiasts can also look forward to the Super New Moon, expected to occur at 3.31am on April 28. Although new moons are typically invisible to the naked eye, this one will be the sec ond-clos est to earth in 2025, marking a notable moment in the lunar calendar.
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