Joe Rao

Thursday evening (Sept. 9) will bring a lovely celestial display involving the two brightest objects in the nighttime sky.

In this week's Night Sky column, we provide a potpourri of factoids concerning some of the more prominent objects appearing in the summertime sky.

Step outside around 45 minutes after sunset on Saturday evening (Aug. 21) and in a single glance you'll be able to partake in a gathering of the moon and the biggest planet of our solar system.

We usually associate the term Blue Moon with a month containing two full moons. That won't happen in August, yet this month brings a Blue Moon nonetheless.

Clouds and smoke could foil the view for some skywatchers.

Perseid meteors are already beginning to fall in a display that promises to dazzle skywatchers this month.

A staple of mythology, the hero Hercules has a strange celestial story.

The planets are a dynamic bunch, and throughout the year as seen from Earth, these celestial bodies appear not only to move across the sky but also to brighten and fade in turn.

Catch the trio above the western horizon about 45 minutes after sunset.

On July 5, 2021, Earth will be at the farthest point in its orbit around the sun, also known as aphelion.

This month, lying just above the southern horizon as darkness falls is a bright complex of stars stretching along the southern Milky Way. They include the constellations of Centaurus, Lupus and Crux.

Venus and the moon will shine bright together in the night sky tonight (June 11)!

Northern and eastern sections of North America will experience a dramatic solar eclipse next Thursday (June 10).

On Thursday morning (June 10) much of North America will see the moon block some portion of the sun during the first solar eclipse of the year — weather permitting, of course.

The sunrise eclipse on Thursday (June 10) will bring a striking image of a crescent sun rising in the east-northeast.

Find out when to look up (or tune in online) for the Super Flower Blood Moon lunar eclipse on Wednesday (May 26).

What will the weather in your area be for observing Wednesday morning's total lunar eclipse?

'Blood moons,' caused by total lunar eclipses, can actually come in a wide range of colors.

Early on Wednesday (May 26), the full moon will become completely immersed in Earth's dark umbral shadow, producing the first total lunar eclipse since January 2019.

You might have been wondering where the most brilliant of all the planets has been in recent months.

You can see two space stations in the night sky this weekend, China's Tianhe and the International Space Station.

If you look up at the Super Pink Moon this Monday (April 26), don't expect to see anything rosy. But with binoculars, you may be able to spot a magnificent lunar feature.

People across the eastern United States could witness a SpaceX rocket launch four astronauts into space early Friday (April 23)

The Lyrid meteor shower peaks on Thursday morning (April 22), the first good meteor shower in nearly four months, although a bright moon could interfere.