(Jake Turcotte)
Tonight, for one show only … it’s Jupiter, Venus, and the moon!
By Peter N. Spotts | 12.01.08
Dateline: Pete’s front stoop in Franklin, Mass.
The moon-Jupiter-Venus show is underway (show times vary by location). And it’s spectacular! Relish it. We won’t see its kind for another 44 years.
One way to stretch the pleasure: Use a pair of binoculars. It’s your ticket to the matinée. From my front stoop, the moon — a waxing crescent — is clearly visible in a fading orange sky at 4:13 p.m. local time.
But its planetary companions aren’t, until I raise a pair of binoculars to my eyes. In that circular field of view, Venus and Jupiter join the moon, although a bit bashfully at first. Still a bit too much daylight for their liking.
The threesome briefly becomes a foursome as a southbound 737 eases across the field of view, its underbelly glaring a bright orange from a sun now well below the horizon.
By 4:25, the two planets become visible to the naked eye, Jupiter just barely.
By 4:50, they glisten like diamond chips against the darkened sky. Earthshine reflects off the dark portion of the moon — a faint, reflected blue-green glow. It’s visible to the naked eye, far more so with binoculars.
For each viewer, this show will likely come with a unique soundtrack. Here, shouts and taunts from children playing basketball in a neighbor’s driveway echo off nearby houses. Three geese, crossing the sky in their own kind of conjunction, honk their way to the local reservoir.
If you don’t mind losing the moon, Venus and Jupiter will repeat this gig in 2011 and again in 2012, once in the morning and once in the early evening. But the next time the moon, Venus, and Jupiter gather like this will be Nov. 18, 2052. Reserve your seat now.
<< Venus, and Jupiter, and the moon, oh my! | MainComments
5. Eric Nielsen in Sioux Falls | 12.01.08
It’s a clear night here in Sioux Falls and the planets are very bright. Thanks for the heads up!
7. Patrick | 12.01.08
Very nice i can see it her in texas Burleson that is
2 diamonds pretty much quite a cool experience
8. East Coast | 12.01.08
Although in Australia its a happy face, here on the East Coast the waxing moon is unhappy; may want to update the graphic.
9. R | 12.01.08
wow!
only… i dont see a smiling face…. its an upside down face..
a frown…. venus is the left eye.. Jupiter is the lighter right eye
woah..
sign of the times?
10. GoDog | 12.01.08
The show is great here in the at the edge of Shreveport, LA. 6:25 CST. Go outside now!
11. hayley, 10 | 12.01.08
This was an exiting thing to read to my family. When was the firsttime you looked at this? When will be the next time to see this after 2012?
13. Bogdan | 12.01.08
My soundtrack was X-Files since I was busy watching them on my laptop when I happened to look up into the sky, and since I didn’t know what was going on, the first thought that entered my head had to do with the X-Files and it was even more creepy when the main theme was playing and I was observing the sky.
17. leticia | 12.01.08
that is cool that some one saw it and put it on the internet i saw it but i thought it was just a 2 regular stars
19. Samm | 12.01.08
Oh my goodness. This is truely a site to see.
It looks like the sky is sad! 
but it is an amazing, beautiful site.
I love it!!!
20. Stevens family | 12.01.08
Who what a sight to see. My kids just thought it was the coolest thing too see, and it really was.
21. jani | 12.01.08
Nice commentary on the stellar event. It is real life with all the glory of nature. Kids playing basketball while the heavenly theater opens its show. Keep looking up.
22. murphy in ny | 12.01.08
at five o clock in middle village in ny 1 st december the two planets sparkled beside the moon onece in a liftime
25. jerad | 12.01.08
I went outside and looked for the moon and i was blown away ive been waiting to see this since i heard about it. It’s totally awesome.
26. ROCIO | 12.01.08
This is a thing that does not happen in 40 years so we have to take advantage to see this wonderful thing now!!! This enspired me to look out side and take a look of what happens in the sky and I hope many people also took the chance to see what goes on in the beutiful SKY. THE Moon,Venus, and Jupiter look very neat and I would like for this to happen more often which is practically inposible. Wouln’t you??? *I LOVE HOW THE SKY LOOKS*
28. marina | 12.01.08
I thought that the brightest star was Jupter because its the bigest planet in our solar system,but i remembered its farther away from Venus. so its the least brightest star and Venus is brightest star.
29. Elizabeth | 12.01.08
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I’m located in Columbia, MD, and on my way home from work tonight at around 6pm ET I noticed two bright objects in the sky next to the moon. Curious, I went online and tried to find out what they were. I tried google, NASA and even the Weather Channel, but no luck. I just got back online to cure my curiosity and came across your blog. Thank you for solving the mystery! Venus, Jupiter and the moon, oh my - for sure!
31. Rosemary | 12.02.08
My daughter and I were checking out the “frown” on our way back from her school today. I told my husband to make sure he took a good look on his way home since we won’t be around in 44 years to see it again. Later, after he got home, he and our daughter went outside to get one last look and the fog had moved in. I’m so glad I read about this and was able to enjoy the show before it was cancelled.
32. A M Matsuku | 12.02.08
Woooooow. Here in Uganda-East Africa, we saw this last nite(Monday). Yesterday on our way home from work, before dark, my hubby dropped me at a local salon so I could get my hair done first. This is unusual because I normally do my hair on the weekends so that I get home before dark during working week. … Anyway, so we had to get home after dark. We live up the hill in Zana, on Entebbe Road. As we drove up the road, the “banana” moon and two “very bright stars” were directly in our view. It looked as if the banana moon was sitting right on the top of the hill, and these two stars were guarding it, one from either side. And it looked like we were driving straight to them. woooow. Its great to know it was a special something we witnessed because 2052 sounds a bit too far. But we’ll around wait and see.
33. B. Brockwell | 12.02.08
Walked outside my home early this evening and directly in front of me was a crescent moon and two planets, I was very excited and commented to the person next to me what I was seeing. He had no idea what a planet looked like till then. However I did not know how lucky I was till I read your article. Thanks.
I live in Long Island, on the North shore. I hope the young man will now be more aware of the wonders of our world.
34. Jacqueline in Botswana | 12.02.08
but we are made to believe that the moon, jupiter and venus will appear again after hundred years coz the believe is that they appear after every hundred years!
35. Carl Rosenkilde | 12.02.08
The picture accompanying this article on the confluence of Venus, Jupiter, and the Moon provided a great teaching opportunity! The fourth grade class, in which I volunteer, quickly spotted problems with the picture. The Moon’s lighted side is in the wrong position relative to the “actual” location of the Sun during this event. The moon itself is at the wrong elevation for the date (Dec. 1, 2008) being described. The “smiley face” being shown actually occured on the previous night (Nov. 30, 2008) and had the moon on the western side of the two planets, with the cresent opening toward the planets. Perhaps some aspects celestial motion need to be reviewed at the Monitor.
36. Christine | 12.02.08
I pray I will still be her in 2052 to witness this……If so I will be close to 100 years old and my awe inspiring granddaughter born in August will be 44 and sitting by my side, its great to dream! I could not see the moon and planets tonite there was a cloud coverage but I saw it last night and thought how beautiful and wondered what it was I was seeing…didnt know it was the moon and planets only knew what I always know that it was God showing off!!! He sure can put on an amazing show.
37. Rahul | 12.02.08
Without realizing what I was looking at, I did see the Jupiter, Venus and Moon show while on my way to the gym in the evening today around 5 30 pm. I was wondering if it was Mars and Venus, but I just found out that it was Venus and Jupiter. Spectacular show!!! I am happy that I got to see it.
38. Bobby | 12.02.08
I saw the moon and the two planets (they looked like stars)
hopefully ill see it again in the next 44 years
39. sherry | 12.02.08
yeah! unluckily i didn’t have any binoculars..
but its pretty awesome the smiling face of the night..
=)
its maybe the sign of a happy christmas!
DEC1
40. Sunita | 12.02.08
And I thought this heavenlly show was being put on only for me! How very arrogant of me 
I did post about it though : http://the-urban-gardener.blogspot.com/2008/12/smilie-over-mumbai.html
41. Florence Luhana | 12.02.08
My Family viewed this spectacle from our house in Lusaka, Zambia. It was an amazing experience that my daughter will talk of for a long time.
43. pond | 12.02.08
Wow, that illustration is just so wrong! Has the illustrator by any chance looked up in the sky any time in his life?
The moon is shown rising, not falling — this means we are seeing predawn in the picture.
Venus and Jupiter are both shown as being in front of the moon, i.e., closer to the Earth than the moon is! Say, anybody want to take a rocket to Jupiter? It’s a lot closer than you think!
Somebody deserves to take a middle-school science class over again.
46. Umbambi Ndiwenyu | 12.02.08
i saw it… it was a thing of beauty… now im waiting for the commet which is coming in 2062… that is if im alive…!
48. jennythebandit | 12.02.08
noticed it yesterday while driving with a friend. simply a beautiful sight
49. Greg Garcia | 12.02.08
Isn’t amazing how this celestial event has brought many people from all over the world together. I read most of the comments and it makes me happy to hear other people’s take on why they saw and experienced. I am glad to have shared this event with each and everyone of you.
Peace
50. Ann | 12.02.08
Fabulous but the oon was definately frowning and not smiling! I had a fantastic view from Wales UK.
51. NORMA MACY | 12.02.08
My husband and I were returning to our home in Big Bear Ca from Redlands betweeen 6 and 7 pm when he remarked that there were two stars fairly close to this crescent moon. I glanced when a mountain wouldn’t be in the way, but told him they were too close to be the regular stars-maybe it was a plane. Later I kidded him and said I knew what that was-a couple flying saucers. We went on home and were amzed that we could still see them-nothing had changed except they were brighter. Then, tonight, to our amazement-the TV was showing exactly what we had seen. We feel really blessed!
53. Marvin | 12.04.08
It was a real eye-catching smiley in the Philippines; well in the whole of Southeast Asia and Oceania.
Check this out…
http://www.sidmacatol.com/2008/12/02/did-the-moon-and-the-stars-smile-at-you-lately/
God-willing, I’ll still be around on November 18, 2052 as an 83-year old kid.
54. Jackie | 12.04.08
It was at sunset when i was taking a stroll through my garden since it was now cool and was suddenly moved to look up into the sky! That is when I noticed the beautiful and amazing two eyes and smiling lips in the form of venus, the up turned moon crescent and jupiter. I immediately pointed the sight to my husband and two daughters. We were amazed so i began to sms my family and church friends to share the wonderful sight. I too took it as a message that God was happy with me and later I included thought that He is watching us in Zimbabwe. Jackie Harare Zimbabwe
55. Elizabeth | 12.04.08
Saw this quite by accident by Newgrange in Ireland on Monday night. Thanks for confirming that it was Jupiter. Crystal clear skies at moonset. Venus was right next to the crescent moon and Jupiter just above it. Could not have been more beautiful.
56. willy | 12.04.08
It’s great to saw this beutiful universe last Monday night and one of blessing guy to notice this spectacular sky here in Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia.
59. andrea garnier | 12.08.08
I saw it flying from Calgary to Las Vegas at around 7pm, the planets were below the moon by then but it was spectacular from up there, even through the scratchy plexi jet window!!
60. NATALIA CHAPIN | 12.09.08
I WAS HEADING TO SUBWAY STATION ALONG 32 STREET AND CROSSING 5TH AVE LOOKED AT THE SKY WITH PUZZELMENT:CRESCENT OF THE MOON HAD 2 BRIGHT STARS AT THE BUTTOM. IT WAS AMAZING!
NATALIA CHAPIN
PLUMBING SPECIALIST,NYC
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1. harry mcniss | 12.01.08
great veiw with the naked eye in elizabethtown pa.