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Joe Rao
SPACE.COM SKYWATCHING COLUMNIST — Joe Rao serves as an instructor and guest lecturer at New York's Hayden Planetarium. He writes about astronomy for Natural History magazine, the Farmers' Almanac and other publications, and he is also an on-camera meteorologist for Verizon FiOS1 News in New York's lower Hudson Valley.

Articles by: Joe Rao

The "Demon Star" Algol is located in the Perseus constellation.

See the 'Demon Star' Algol wink in the night sky this week

By Joe Rao

Algol, also known as the Demon Star, is quite possibly the most interesting star in the fall and winter skies, if you know when to look for its brightness changes.

The moon, Jupiter and Saturn will form a triangle in the sky on the evening of Oct. 22, 2020.

Look up! The moon will pay Jupiter and Saturn a visit tonight

By Joe Rao

Skywatchers will be treated to an eye-catching gathering in the south-southwest sky about an hour after sunset on Thursday (Oct. 22) — a large triangle formed by the moon, Jupiter and Saturn.

Orionid meteors streak through the starry sky over Big Bend National Park in Texas, in this composite of four shots taken by astrophotographer Sergio Garcia Rill in October 2017.

The Orionid meteor shower peaks this week! Here's what to expect.

By Joe Rao

It's an excellent year to view the Orionids, which peak before dawn on Wednesday (Oct. 21).

The Harvest Moon of Oct. 1, 2020.

Zany moon monikers: October's 'Blue Moon' and other lunar terms explained

By Joe Rao

October has already seen a Harvest Moon, now this week comes a "proxigean" new moon, and to finish out this month we'll have a "Halloween Micro Blue Moon." We'll explain.

A diagram showing the location of the nearly-full moon and Mars early on Oct. 3, 2020, as seen from New York City.

Don't miss Mars and the nearly full moon huddling together in tonight's sky

By Joe Rao

Friday night is date night for two bright celestial meetups that will light up the sky tonight (Oct. 2 - Oct. 3).

As November begins, Mercury will be in the western evening sky and swinging sunward towards inferior conjunction on November 11, when the speedy planet will transit the sun. The transit will be visible in whole or in part from westernmost Russia, the Middle East, Europe, Africa, South America, North America (except for the extreme north), most of the Pacific Ocean, and New Zealand. After mid-month, Mercury will return to view with an excellent morning apparition for Northern Hemisphere observers, but a poor one for the Southern Hemisphere. The planet will reach peak visibility at greatest western elongation on November 28. Viewed in a telescope during mornings in November, Mercury's disk will diminish in apparent size and wax in illuminated phase from a thin crescent to a 68% full. Over the same period, the planet will brighten. The old crescent moon will pass north of Mercury on November 24-25.

The brightest planets in October's night sky: How to see them (and when)

By Joe Rao

Here's how to see planets visible in October's night sky.

This NASA graphic shows the visibility path and times, in seconds after liftoff, for Northrop Grumman's NG-14 Cygnus cargo launch on an Antares rocket from Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia on Oct. 1, 2020.

An Antares rocket launch for NASA may be visible along the US East Coast tonight. Here's how to watch.

By Joe Rao

Northrop Grumman will launch NASA cargo from Virginia tonight (Oct. 2) and it may be visible on the U.S. East Coast. Here's how to watch.

A full moon shines over Virginia.

The Harvest Moon of 2020 rises tonight! But why is it in October?

By Joe Rao

When the full moon shines tonight (Oct. 1), it will mark the Harvest Moon of 2020.

A view of Mars on Sept. 6, 2020, as seen from New York, showing Syrtis Major, Sabaeus Sinus and Hellas.

You don't want to miss Mars shining bright this fall

By Joe Rao

Mars is lighting up the night sky as the planet heads toward an unusually close approach to Earth on Oct. 6.

Autumn's celestial sea: Catch these 'water' constellations in the night sky this fall

By Joe Rao

Autumn officially arrives in the Northern Hemisphere on Tuesday, Sept. 22 at 9:31 a.m. EDT (1331 GMT). And consequently, our evening sky is now one in transition.

See the moon, Venus and the Beehive star cluster in the early morning sky on Sept. 14, 2020.

See Venus swing by the crescent moon Monday morning

By Joe Rao

The moon and Venus will form a triangle with the Beehive star cluster in the predawn sky on Monday (Sept. 14).

NASA's Voyager 2 spacecraft captured this image of the planet Uranus on Dec. 18, 1986.

How to see Uranus in the night sky (without a telescope) this week

By Joe Rao

Just how many planets are visible without a telescope? Most people will answer "five," but there is a sixth planet that can be glimpsed without visual aid: the planet Uranus.

Capella, the "Goat Star," is the brightest star in the constellation of Auriga, the charioteer.

The 'Goat Star' is back: How to see Capella in the night sky this month

By Joe Rao

At this time of year, some might be attracted by the presence of an unusually bright star sparkling over the north-northeast horizon.

moon mars occultation

See Mars rendezvous with the moon this Labor Day weekend

By Joe Rao

Every once in a while, something will appear in the sky that will attract the attention of even those who normally don't bother looking up.

August 2020 Jupiter Saturn skywatching

See Jupiter and Saturn with the moon this weekend

By Joe Rao

Step outside around 8:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday (Aug. 28-29) and in a single glance you'll be able to partake in a gathering of the moon and the two gas giants of the solar system.

See the lunar crater Copernicus near the moon's terminator on Aug. 27, 2020.

Sunrise at Copernicus crater: How to see the 'Monarch of the Moon'

By Joe Rao

You can see the moon's famous Copernicus crater along the lunar terminator — the line lunar between day and night — on Thursday (Aug. 27).

The Black Moon arrives on Wednesday, July 31.

Black Moon 2020: What it is (and why you can't see it)

By Joe Rao

Tuesday's sky (Aug. 18) is host to a somewhat unusual lunar event in the Western Hemisphere: a third new moon in a season of four new moons, which some people call a "Black Moon."

The crescent moon will be in conjunction with Venus on Saturday (Aug. 15) at 9:01 a.m. EDT (1301 GMT)

See Venus and the moon cozy up with winter constellations early Saturday

By Joe Rao

As Venus makes a close approach to the moon Saturday morning (Aug. 15), you can catch some winter constellations without the cold.

In this 30 second exposure, a meteor streaks across the sky during the annual Perseid meteor shower Friday, Aug. 12, 2016 in Spruce Knob, West Virginia.

Perseid meteor shower 2020 weather forecast: Here's what to expect in the US for tonight's peak!

By Joe Rao

The 2020 Perseid meteor shower peaks overnight tonight (Aug. 11 and 12). Here's the U.S. weather forecast.

A time-lapse image shows Perseid meteors in August 2009.

Moon may outshine Perseids this 'meteor month'

By Joe Rao

Skywatchers beware: the moon will hinder attempts to observe the Perseids, typically one of the best meteor displays of the year.

The Coat Hanger asterism, also known as Collinder 399 or Brocchi's Cluster, is located in the constellation of Vulpecula, the little fox.

How to see a cosmic 'Coat Hanger' rise with the little fox in the night sky

By Joe Rao

Small asterisms, or star patterns, are often overlooked. One striking example of this than the Coat Hanger, which is now well placed for evening viewing in the constellation of Vulpecula.

On July 18, 2020, astrophotographer Evan Zucker and his wife, Paula, drove three hours to the Mojave Desert north of Desert Center, California, to see Comet NEOWISE. "The comet itself was an very obvious naked eye object, even all the way down to the horizon, but the ion tail was a challenge to perceive naked eye," Zucker said. They used a Sony a7iii camera with a Sony 85mm f/1.4 GM lens, set to f/1.4 and ISO 800, mounted on a 6-in. Celestron telescope to provide tracking. The single 13-second exposure was processed in Adobe Lightroom and Topaz AI De-Noise.

The curtain is about to come down on Comet NEOWISE

By Joe Rao

The brightest comet to appear in Northern Hemisphere skies in nearly a quarter of a century will soon be ending its run as a naked-eye object.

A close-up view of Jupiter, taken one week after the planet reached opposition in June 2019, reveals detailed cloud bands — and Jupiter's moon Europa!

See Jupiter and Saturn at their brightest this week

By Joe Rao

This week, Jupiter and Saturn appear at their very best, with Jupiter having just arrived at opposition July 14 and Saturn to reach its own opposition July 20.

Astrophotographer Chris Schur captured this view of Comet NEOWISE F3 from Payson, Arizona before dawn on July 5, 2020.

How to see Comet NEOWISE in the night sky this month

By Joe Rao

The early reviews are in: Comet NEOWISE is a hit!

Throughout July, Venus will rise about two hours before the sun and then shine prominently in the eastern sky until sunrise. Between July 3 and 12, Venus' orbital motion will carry it eastward and directly through the Hyades star cluster, the large, triangular grouping of stars that forms the face of Taurus, the bull. On July 10, Venus will reach its greatest illuminated extent, at magnitude -4.47, for the current morning apparition.

The 'morning star' Venus is at its brightest for 2020 this week. Here's how to see it.

By Joe Rao

After putting on a great show in our evening sky during the first half of this year, dazzling Venus puts on a spectacular showing for early morning risers for the balance of 2020.