Unfamiliar face

Don't I know you ... ? In my many decades of observing the cosmos – more than 65 years – I never have seen a smiley face in the night sky. Not once. And I'm sure I won't on the morning of April 25, 2025. Bet you've seen him before: the fake smiley face that's been making the rounds. In the age in which misinformation is commonplace, many social media sites are sharing this image, purported to show what appears to be a smiley face that will appear that morning in the sky. It's an artificial illustration of the crescent Moon with the planets Venus and Saturn directly above – but all too close and mostly too bright. But before I progress across too many light-years, a message to my dear friends who have shared the original post and image: This blog is not a slap at you. I'd never do that. My emphasis is where astronomical news is concerned, be sure to follow a trusted source. Otherwise, people are disappointed when they look, and because of that, they may not...