Joe Rao

Mizar, a star in the Big Dipper's handle, has a tiny companion. This star, Alcor, was known to the ancients. The pair was popularly known as the "Horse and Rider."

Astronomy has lost one of its most assiduous calculators of eclipses with the passing of astronomer Fred Espenak, known widely as "Mr. Eclipse."

Jupiter teams up with an exceedingly narrow crescent moon for the last time this year in the evening sky on May 27.

A slender crescent moon, will form a spectacular pair with the brilliant planet Venus during the dawn morning hours of May 23.

The bright constellations of winter have departed in the west, while the stars of spring are climbing the eastern and southern skies.

The Red Planet will buzz the Beehive during May 4-5, with the moon joining the party on May 3.

The annual Eta Aquarid Meteor Shower is due to peak on the morning of May 6. thanks to debris left by the famous Halley's Comet.

Some people probably believe that the twinkling effect is produced by the stars themselves, but that is not the case at all.

Easter falls on the Sunday that follows the first full moon occurring on or after the day of the spring equinox. So it seems like Easter should be this weekend. Here's why it isn't.

Here's an observers' guide to the newly discovered Comet 2025 F2 (SWAN), which is visible in northern skies right now.

The Lyrid meteor shower, one of the oldest known of the annual showers, peaks this year with only some small interference from a waning crescent moon.

After putting on a great show in our evening sky since the fall of 2024, dazzling Venus puts on a spectacular showing for early morning risers for the balance of 2025.

A partial solar eclipse is coming this weekend, but weather could be an issue for many hoping to get a glimpse of the moon "taking a bite" out of the sun.

Observers across eastern North America and much of Europe will have front-row seats to the striking partial solar eclipse on March 29. Here's what to expect.

Just how rare are planetary alignments?

Here are the weather conditions that can be expected during the the total "Blood Moon" lunar eclipse thought the United States on March 13, 2025.

Observers across most of the United States will have front-row seats to the spectacular total lunar eclipse overnight on March 13-14. Here's what to expect.

The pair will be closest to each other at around 8 p.m. ET.

In March 2025 we have a fine opportunity to view the planet that many astronomy guide books refer to as the most difficult of the naked-eye planets to see: Mercury.

For the next few weeks, the planet Mars will form an isosceles triangle with the two bright stars marking the heads of the Gemini Twins, Pollux and Castor. 

Even to a casual viewer, the waxing gibbous moon of Feb. 7 will appear quite unusual, climbing so very high in the sky.

Jupiter will also be accompanied by two naked-eye star clusters: the Pleiades and Hyades.