Joe Rao

The Ursid meteor shower of 2021 will peak overnight on Dec. 21 but don't expect a great meteor display.

Skywatchers will have a chance to see Comet Leonard — the brightest comet of 2021 — near Venus in the evening sky tonight (Dec. 17).

The December Geminid meteor shower is usually considered the most satisfying of the annual meteor displays, but this year, the moon will put a damper on the spectacle.

Clouds blocked the view of the only total solar eclipse for 2021 for 200 passengers on an Antarctic exploration cruise ship Dec. 4.

Early Saturday morning, a total solar eclipse will darken skies at the bottom of the world.

It's unusual to see a comet at its best: Most comets are brightest nearest the sun, just when they're most difficult to spot against the sun's glare or hidden below the horizon.

Here's what you can expect to see in the Thanksgiving night sky of 2022.

Much of the Nation's midsection should be in fine position weatherwise, to get a view of the upcoming "almost" total lunar eclipse scheduled for late Thursday night/early Friday morning (Nov. 18-19).

Our upcoming lunar eclipse has a direct connection to an eclipse that occurred in the late 1960s.

The Leonids are likely to be a major disappointment in 2021, partly because of the expected lack of any significant activity, but mainly because of the full moon.

Here are the stages of the Beaver Moon lunar eclipse of Nov. 19, which will be the longest lunar eclipse this century.

In our sky this week, there are three stars that have been used to demonstrate how to measure stellar distances: Vega, 61 Cygni and Delta Cephei.

If like me, you have been watching the night sky for a long time, you will begin to recognize certain stars and constellations as old friends.

The annual Taurid meteor shower made of bits of the comet Encke is peaking Friday, Nov. 5.

Venus is the first planet you'll spot these days — maybe even before sunset, if you know where to look in the south-southwest sky.

There's a lot to look at between now and the December solstice: two eclipses, four meteor showers, Venus reaching its pinnacle in brilliance and a potential bright comet!

For the next two and a half weeks, early-morning skywatchers will have an excellent opportunity to spot the so-called "elusive planet" — Mercury.

During these next few mornings, we'll have a chance to see a few pieces of Halley's Comet zipping through our atmosphere in the form of meteors.

Between Saturday and Thursday evenings (Oct. 9 to Oct. 14), the moon will visit not one but three bright planets: Venus, Saturn and Jupiter.

For those with a knowledge of the night sky, there's a chance to share that knowledge and appreciation of the heavens with other people by giving a star talk.

The stars have provided inspiration for imaginative storytellers across the planet for millennia. This is the tale of two star-crossed lovers, Vega and Altair.

Of all of the features associated with our sun, sunspots are by far the most conspicuous.

There are two star patterns representing crowns that are visible in our current late-summer evening sky: Corona Borealis (the Northern Crown) and Corona Australis (the Southern Crown).

Wednesday (Sept. 22) marks the equinox, which, thanks to its Latin name meaning "equal night," is often thought of as the day when dark and light each claim 12 hours.

The Harvest Moon is always the full moon closest to the time of the autumnal equinox.