Moon, Venus And Jupiter Align Tonight In Rare 'Sky Smile' Conjunction

Skywatchers can witness a sweet smile of the sky starting tonight as the Moon lines up with Venus and Jupiter in the evening sky, forming a bright celestial trio that many are calling a "sky smile". The event began on May 18 and will continue over the next few evenings, with the thin crescent Moon passing close to Venus first, then Jupiter, BBC Sky at Night Magazine reported. Venus and Jupiter are currently the brightest planets visible after sunset. Venus sits low on the western horizon, while Jupiter shines higher up. Night after night, the Moon moves eastward across the sky, making a close approach to Venus tonight and to Jupiter tomorrow, May 20, 2026.

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Astronomers call this an "appulse" or conjunction. It happens when two or more celestial bodies appear very close together from Earth's perspective. In reality, Venus is roughly 200 million km away and Jupiter about 850 million km away, but from our viewpoint, they look like they're gathered around the Moon.

Photos of the setup are already going viral on social media, with observers sharing the nickname "sky smile" or "cosmic smile", for the way the Moon and two planets form a curved, grinning shape.

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When and how to see it

Time: Just after sunset, look west. Venus and Jupiter will shine brightly in the sky, with a thin crescent Moon beside them.  

Visibility: No equipment needed as it's easily visible to the naked eye. For those who are interested, binoculars will give a wider view if you want more detail.

Where: The conjunction will be visible across India and much of the globe, weather permitting.

Lunar-planet conjunctions happen about once a month because the Moon moves quickly along the ecliptic, passing the planets. But a three-body alignment with Venus and Jupiter creates a particularly striking scene.