How To View The Celestial Smiley Face in Texarkana on Friday

Texarkana and the rest of the world are getting ready to see something extraordinary just before sunrise on April 25, 2025, a smiley face emoji.

Smiley Face: True or False?

You may have noticed this all over social media posts lately, but is it true or false?

Canva

The website EarthSky said it best: "Not exactly. But, yeah, kinda." Depending on where you are watching from on Earth, the smiley face could be at a slant, and one planet could be brighter or dimmer than the other, but it may not be as defined as pictures show it to be.

Triple Planetary Conjunction

According to NASA, it's caused by a rare planetary alignment of two planets, Venus and Saturn. It happens when Venus is higher above the eastern sky horizon with Saturn lower, and a thinner crescent moon a little farther north and slightly lower. The alignment is known as a "Triple Planetary Conjunction." When it occurs, it resembles a huge smiley face in the sky.

🌍Planetary Conjunction and Planetary Alignment: What’s the Difference?

Where to Spot the Smiley Face

Stargazers and onlookers can look low in the eastern sky at around 5:30 AM local time as dawn approaches. This rare phenomenon won't last long, about an hour in total duration before sunrise.

Canva

The only thing that could affect seeing it would be cloud cover, which is a possibility in parts of Arkansas and Texas on Friday, with a chance of showers likely in the Texarkana area.

So, if you're curious like me, grab your binoculars or telescope for a better viewing of this amazing celestial event.