Joe Rao

One astronomical term which is rarely used anymore is "combust," which refers to a celestial body that appears to be in such close proximity to the sun that it is impossible to observe.

Eight bright stars dominate our current winter sky. Depending on how you look at them, you might see a graceful arc, a hexagon or a giant "G."

A spectacular gathering of bright planets will be the chief celestial attraction in the evening sky this weekend as Jupiter, Saturn and Mercury appear to crowd into tight quarters.

The Quadrantid meteor shower of 2021 peaks overnight on Jan. 2 and 3, but the bright moon will spoil the view.

There is one more meteor shower to consider before we close the book on 2020: the December Ursid meteor shower, which usually occurs during the overnight hours of Dec. 21-22.

We are now closing in on the long-awaited night of Dec. 21, when Jupiter and Saturn will engage in their "great conjunction."

Before the historic "great conjunction" of Jupiter and Saturn on Dec. 21, the planets will have a close encounter with the crescent moon on Wednesday and Thursday (Dec. 16-17).

It would only seem appropriate that the final eclipse in this eccentric year of 2020 will be visible only from Patagonia — nicknamed "the end of the world."

The Geminid meteor shower, which will likely be the very best meteor display of the year, is just around the corner, predicted to peak late on Sunday night (Dec. 13).

Early on Monday morning (Nov. 30), careful skywatchers across all of North America can watch the full moon undergo a slight penumbral eclipse.

What did the starry sky look like on the occasion of the very first Thanksgiving?

See the moon and Mars rendezvous in the evening sky this Wednesday (Nov. 25).

One of the most famous annual meteor showers is reaching its peak — the Leonids. These ultrafast meteors are due to crest overnight tonight and into early Tuesday morning (Nov. 16-17).

The two "inferior" planets are teaming up with the moon and one of the brightest stars in the sky to put on a lovely show in the predawn morning skies of Thursday and Friday (Nov. 12-13).

If skies are clear during this upcoming week, be sure to take a few moments to gaze upward. You just might be lucky and catch a glimpse of a spectacularly bright meteor — a Taurid meteor.

t's World Series time once again, so it may be of interest to baseball fans that there are two star patterns that very much resemble two baseball diamonds in our current evening sky.

During the "Great Conjunction" on Dec. 21, 2020, Jupiter and Saturn will be about one-tenth of a degree apart, their closest approach since 1623.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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