Latest articles by Joe Rao
Shadow bands may be the most unusual of the eerie phenomena that can accompany a solar eclipse. Here's what we do and don't know about them.
On Monday, Jan. 8, the waning crescent moon will occult the 1st-magnitude red supergiant star Antares, one of the brightest stars in the sky.
Early each January, the Quadrantid meteor stream provides one of the most intense annual meteor displays, but unfortunately, there's a stumbling block this year in the form of the moon
This guide to the planets in our solar system will show you what to look out for in the sky in 2024.
Winter in the Northern Hemisphere will officially arrive tonight with the rays of the sun shining directly down on the Tropic of Capricorn.
About half of the contiguous (48) states will have clear, starry skies — a perfect backdrop for watching this very best of the year's principal meteor displays, the Geminid Meteor Shower.
The Geminid meteor shower reaches its peak on Dec. 13 and 14. Conditions look favorable for a spectacular display this year under the dark skies of a new moon.
On Friday, Dec. 8, Halley's Comet reaches its farthest point from the sun and begins its journey back through the solar system.
Located at a distance of 2.5 million light-years, the Andromeda Galaxy is readily visible to the unaided eye on dark, clear nights. Here's where you should look this week.
A waxing gibbous moon, Saturn and Jupiter make inviting targets for skywatchers this Thanksgiving.
The exact cause of 'Devil Comet' 12P/Pons-Brooks' flare-ups is unknown, though the best guess is that perhaps a fissure has developed on the comet's nucleus due to a build-up of gas.
One of the most famous of the annual meteor showers will soon be reaching its maximum: The Leonids. These ultrafast meteors are due to reach their peak on Saturday morning (Nov. 18).
The "Demon Star" of Algol gets eclipsed this week by one of its stellar siblings. Here's what you need to know.
The two brightest objects in the night sky — dazzling Venus and a lovely waning crescent moon — will be the chief celestial attraction in the predawn sky on Thursday, Nov. 9.
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 spectacular sky sight — a Taurid meteor.
Jupiter will meet up with the moon on Oct. 28 in a stunning sky show. Then with a telescope, watch a moon's shadow on Jupiter on Oct. 29.
Two weeks after casting its shadow across the Americas during an annular solar eclipse, the moon will swing around to skim through the northern edge of the Earth's own shadow on Saturday, Oct. 28.
During the third week of October, the meteor display spawned by the debris shed by Halley reaches its peak: The Orionid meteor shower.
Almost all of North America will experience a dramatic event on Saturday (Oct. 14), when a partial eclipse of the sun will be visible — weather permitting, of course.
Skywatchers who are out during the evening hours on Sunday will almost certainly be attracted toward the eastern sky, where the two brightest visible objects at that hour will be readily evident.
The last supermoon of 2023 will illuminate the autumn sky on Friday.
Saturn and its rings will be visible near a bright moon tonight. Here's how to catch a glimpse of the two celestial marvels.
On Saturday (Sept. 23) at 2:50 a.m. EDT (0650 GMT), autumn begins astronomically in the Northern Hemisphere, and spring starts in the South.
