Joseph Johann von Littrow (13 March 1781, Horšovský Týn (German: Bischofteinitz) – 30 November 1840, Vienna) was an Austrian astronomer.

In 1837, he was ennobled with the title Joseph Johann Edler von Littrow.

He was the father of Karl Ludwig Edler von Littrow and the mentor of the mathematician Nikolai Brashman.

Littrow authored the widely read Wunder des Himmels ("Miracles of the Sky"), which was reprinted eight times by 1897.

[2] Von Littrow is often associated with a proposal to dig a large circular canal in the Sahara desert and fill it with burning kerosene, thus communicating the fact of human intelligence to aliens who may be observing Earth.