Joe Rao

The two most conspicuous star patterns whirling in their nightly course in the northern skies are the Big Dipper and the "W" of Cassiopeia the Queen.

During the late evening hours of Friday (Oct. 14), Mars will rendezvous with the moon in the night sky.

On Saturday evening (Oct. 8), should local weather conditions permit, you'll be able to enjoy a view of a waxing gibbous moon hovering near to the "king of the planets," Jupiter.

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.

The 2018 Draconid meteor shower will peak overnight on Monday, Oct. 8, and early Tuesday, Oct. 9. Here's what to expect.

Stars differ in size, luminosity and distance from us. We discuss how astronomers measure these three values to understand the three-dimensional sky.

This marks a rather auspicious week, for we will see Jupiter loom as large and as bright as it ever can get from our earthly vantage point.

The word equinox, from the Latin for "equal night," alludes to the fact that day and night are then of equal length worldwide on these dates. But this is not necessarily so.

Mars, the only planet whose surface we can see in any detail from the Earth, is now moving toward the best viewing position it will provide us until the year 2031.

The full moon of Saturday (Sept. 10) also carries the title of the Harvest Moon for those living in the Northern Hemisphere.

Several northern constellations have southern counterparts. Learn the stories behind constellations Corona Borealis and Corona Australis and the stars within them.

On Thursday Aug. 25 we will have an opportunity to catch sight of the two brightest objects in the night sky, Venus and the moon, engaged in a final morning dance.

On the morning of Friday (Aug. 19), the moon and Mars will both be visible in the eastern sky.

A new image produced by the James Webb Space Telescope reveals new details of Stephan's Quintet, the very first compact galaxy group ever discovered.

Donald Edward Machholz was an American amateur astronomer who was the leading visual comet discoverer, credited with the visual discovery of 12 comets that bear his name.

Check out the king of the planets meeting up with the moon on Aug. 14, throughout most of the night.

On Sunday night (August 14th), Saturn arrives at opposition, when it lies on the opposite side of the sky from the sun.

Because of the brightness of the moon, the best times to see the Perseid meteor shower this year will be during the predawn hours several mornings before the night of full moon.

The nearly full moon will likely spoil views of the Perseids this year. Here are six minor meteor showers that might give you the chance to spot "shooting stars."

Earth's polar skies have lit up with eerie blue-white glowing clouds, slowly twisting and undulating in the twilight sky every summer since the late 19th century.

On Wednesday (July 13) at 5 a.m. EDT (09:00 GMT), the moon will arrive at its closest point to the Earth for 2022.

Mira, the 'Wonderful Star,' will be at its peak brightness around July 13. See how to find Mira and learn more about this variable star's odd behavior.

The moon and several planets will join the fireworks on the Fourth.

Get up early Sunday to see a celestial rendezvous between the two brightest objects in the night sky: Venus and the moon.