Joe Rao

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.

The June solstice 2022, which is recognized as the official start of the summer in the Northern Hemisphere, will occur on Tuesday, June 21, at precisely 5:14 a.m. EDT (09:14 GMT).

A rare parade of planets is coming into better view in the second half of June, and even the moon will join the show.

June presents a perfect opportunity to spot the three biggest constellations in the sky — Hydra, Virgo and Ursa Major — but you may have to look beyond standard star charts to find the Big Three.

"Shooting stars" from the tau Herculids meteor shower may be visible late this month, but you might want to listen for them instead.

Meteor storms can contain thousands of meteors an hour. Here, we take a look at some of history's greatest meteor storms dating back to the late 18th century.

Of all of the features associated with our sun, sunspots are by far the most conspicuous.

During the course of the year, the length of twilight can vary.