Why Qatar’s sky didn’t smile: The truth behind the viral “smiley face” hype

Doha: Over the past few days, excitement buzzed across Doha s social media platforms with talk of a rare celestial event: A so called smiley face fo...

Doha: Over the past few days, excitement buzzed across Doha’s social media platforms with talk of a rare celestial event: A so-called “smiley face” forming in the sky at dawn on Friday, April 25. The viral claim suggested that the crescent Moon, Venus, and Saturn would align in such a way that a cosmic smile would appear overhead.

But for many skywatchers in Qatar, Friday morning brought a different reality. "Why the sky didn’t smile over Doha this morning?" asked many residents. 

Earlier this week, Qatar Calendar House (QCH) released an accurate depiction of how the celestial trio would appear in Qatari skies. According to QCH, the Moon, Venus, and Saturn would be visible to the naked eye above the eastern horizon starting around 3:17 am, when Saturn rose, until just before sunrise.

Yes, it was a charming celestial lineup, but it was never going to look like a classic smiley face emoji.