Moon, Venus, Saturn form 'sad face' alignment early Friday

Early risers were treated to a rare planetary alignment on Friday as the Moon, Venus, and Saturn formed a celestial 'sad face' in the eastern sky.

Unfortunately, people in the Philippines will not be able to witness the smiley pattern of Venus, Saturn, and the waning crescent moon during late afternoon due to daylight, but they could see the sad face formation at 4:30 a.m. on Friday.

Weather bureau PAGASA explained that in our region, the Moon rises before Venus and Saturn, creating an inverted or 'sad face' pattern instead of a smiley, while the conjunctions between the celestial bodies will occur throughout the day.

PAGASA noted specific times: the Moon and Venus will be in conjunction at 9:21 a.m., passing within 2°23' of each other; and the Moon and Saturn will make a close approach at 10:35 a.m., separated by 2°00'.

These celestial events, shining brightly at magnitudes -10.4 for Venus and -4.5 for Saturn, are observable in regions where Venus and Saturn rise before the moon, allowing visibility just before sunrise.