Joe Rao
Joe Rao is Space.com's skywatching columnist, as well as a veteran meteorologist and eclipse chaser who also 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. Joe is an 8-time Emmy-nominated meteorologist who served the Putnam Valley region of New York for over 21 years. You can find him on Twitter and YouTube tracking lunar and solar eclipses, meteor showers and more. To find out Joe's latest project, visit him on Twitter.
Latest articles by Joe Rao

Perseid meteor shower peaks this weekend — but 2028's show might be one for the ages
By Joe Rao last updated
The annual Perseid meteor shower should put on a nice show this weekend — but a spectacular Perseid display appears to be in the cards four years from now.

See the moon and Venus join close together tonight
By Joe Rao last updated
Of all of the monthly meetings between the moon and Venus this year, this one is by far the closest.

Venus returns to the night sky as an 'Evening Star,' and its going to be brilliant
By Joe Rao published
As we make the transition from July into August, Venus has finally begun climbing up out of the sunset glow in earnest and is now about to reclaim its role as the brilliant Evening Star.

The moon, Mars and Jupiter form a predawn triangle on July 31. Here's how to see it
By Joe Rao published
The moon, Mars and Jupiter form a triangle in the early morning hours of July 31 alongside the stars of the Taurus constellation. Here's how to see it.

A comet predicted to light up the sky in 2024 may already be doomed
By Joe Rao published
While some comet experts think Comet Tsunchinchan-ATLAS (C/2023 A3) will "soon be no longer," others think it's doing just fine.

Watch the moon cover up the blue giant star Spica on July 13
By Joe Rao published
On Saturday, July 13, the moon will pass in front of bright blue star Spica in the night sky. The star will disappear behind the moon before reappearing on the other side.

Perseid meteor shower returns to our skies this month to kick off summer 'shooting star' season
By Joe Rao published
2024 will be a very good year to watch for the Perseids, because bright moonlight will not interfere.

The gorgeous Ring Nebula makes a stunning skywatching sight this week
By Joe Rao published
Head outside this week at around 10 p.m. local daylight time and face due east and locate the Ring Nebula for a summertime skywatching treat.

Strawberry Solstice Moon of June 2024 shines tonight for summer stargazers (video)
By Joe Rao published
This month, let's turn our attention to two celestial objects that can readily be seen even from bright cities. One is our nearest neighbor in space, while the other is a familiar pattern of stars.

June solstice 2024 brings changing seasons to Earth on June 20 — What to know
By Joe Rao published
Summer will officially arrive in the Northern Hemisphere on Thursday (June 20) at 4:51 p.m. EDT (2051 GMT) — the June Solstice. Here's what you need to know.

See the moon and Saturn meet in the night sky early on May 31
By Joe Rao published
Saturn will appear just above the third quarter moon in the sky in the early hours of Friday (May 31).

Will a 'rare' lineup of planets be visible to the naked eye in the night sky on June 3?
By Joe Rao published
Skywatchers who plan to rise early and step outside on June 3 expecting to see a stunning display of visible planets will be quite disappointed, at the very least.

The original 'Mr. Eclipse:' How a 19th-century astronomer calculated the dates of over 13,000 eclipses
By Joe Rao published
For nearly a century, the 1887 book "Canon of Eclipses" was considered to be the authoritative work on solar and lunar eclipses.

A comet approaching Earth could become brighter than the stars this fall
By Joe Rao published
By the end of this summer, we may have a good idea as to whether we'll have a bright naked-eye comet gracing our early autumn evening sky, known as C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS).

How to watch bright red star Antares disappear behind the moon on May 23
By Joe Rao published
For the third time this year, the bright red star Antares will be occulted or hidden by the moon on Thursday, May 23.

The ISS may be more visible in the night sky throughout May. Here's how to see it
By Joe Rao published
The International Space Station, the largest and brightest object now orbiting Earth, will provide excellent views for skywatchers across much of the Northern Hemisphere for much of May.

Eta Aquarid meteor shower peak could spawn over 100 'shooting stars' per hour this weekend
By Joe Rao published
The Eta Aquarid meteor shower peaks on May 5, and this year looks favorable for a good light show put on by bits of Halley's Comet as they burn up in Earth's atmosphere.

'Cat nights' are here as Leo, Leo minor, and Lynx constellations prowl the evening sky
By Joe Rao published
Along with Leo, there are two other members of the cat family that are currently well situated and close together in the evening sky: Leo Minor, the Smaller Lion, and Lynx.

The Lyrid meteor shower peaks this weekend, but don't expect much this year
By Joe Rao published
The annual Lyrid meteor shower peaks overnight on April 21-22, but unfortunately a bright moon will make it difficult to spot any 'shooting stars' this year.

Here's how to see 'horned' comet 12P/Pons-Brooks at its brightest this week (video)
By Joe Rao last updated
All you'll need to see comet 12P/Pons-Brooks this month, besides fair weather and a little luck, are good binoculars or a telescope and sky map to help guide you.

See Jupiter close to a crescent moon (Mars near Saturn, too) in the 'View a Planet Day' night sky
By Joe Rao published
Jupiter and a slim crescent moon are the stand-out night sky sight in the evening sky right now.

Total solar eclipse 2024: Here's the national weather forecast for April 8
By Joe Rao published
What does the weather look like for the April 8 total solar eclipse? Here we take a look at the national weather forecast to find out.

Total solar eclipse April 8, 2024: What you'll see if you're outside the path of totality
By Joe Rao last updated
On April 8, 2024, if the weather is fair, you should have no difficulty observing a partial eclipse of the sun from much of North America - even outside the path of totality.
Get the Space.com Newsletter
Breaking space news, the latest updates on rocket launches, skywatching events and more!