Australians See Smiley Face in Night Sky

FOXNews.com ^ | Monday, December 01, 2008 | FOXNews.com

[metmom]

Australians are getting a big hello from the heavens as Venus, Jupiter and a waxing crescent moon combine to create a celestial smiley face.

The best time to see the friendly phenomenon is about 20 to 30 minutes after sunset, report the News Corporation's Australian newspapers.

[metmom]

[Puppage]

Looks like a frowning face

[metmom]

ping

[Hot Tabasco]

The clouds look like a puppy.....

[Constitution Day]

In the United States, the effect will be inverted and will appear as a frown.

Good thing I don't believe in celestial omens...

[metmom]

That's what we're supposed to see later.

Here are some other shots of it later, when it was darker.

[metmom]

Here’s a link to the photo essay.

http://www.foxnews.com/photoessay/0,4644,5826,00.html

[Hatteras]

I see a little cave-painting guy chasing a bat out of his cave.

[metmom]

In the United States, the effect will be inverted and will appear as a frown.

How appropriate.

[Skooz]

bump

[Constitution Day]

Indeed...

[Cyclone59]

How stupid was that to say. It would simply be an upside down smiley face. I didn’t see a sarcasm claimer.

[zeebee]

It will be a frowning face here in the northern hemisphere tonight.

[ClearCase_guy]

Luke

21:25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;

21:26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.

21:27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.

[metmom]

Apparently, the moon will be shifting towards Venus and Jupiter and passing between them so instead of looking like this :) it will look like this ):

[metmom]

Yup.

[DYngbld]

I would rather see the smiley then the frown but we live on this side of the equator. The kids got a kick out the Venus/Jupiter line up the other night. Would be nice if Mars was doing a little dot for a nose. Wonder when/if that will happen.

[ml/nj]

From Sky & Telescope:

Don't miss the best naked-eye sky spectacle of the year! (These scenes are always drawn for the middle of North America. European observers: move each Moon symbol a quarter of the way toward the one for the previous date. In the Far East, move the Moon symbols halfway. For clarity, the Moon is shown three times actual size.)

ML/NJ

[spetznaz]

This is really amazing! I was flying from Mombasa Kenya to Nairobi Kenya today, and I saw the exact same thing. Even took pictures of it when I landed on my smartphone. The only difference is that the 'eyes' are much closer to the 'smile' than is the case in the Aussie pictures. It looked EXACTLY like a smiley-face.

Quite literally made me smile all the way home. Even though I was in a mega-jam, I was smiling like a kid in a candy shop! Heaven smiling down on me.

[RightWhale]

In the United States, the effect will be inverted and will appear as a frown.

It looked the same everywhere that it was visible.