Celestial Events in 2022
Mark your calendars to catch these noteworthy 2022 celestial events. Here are just a few of the exciting sights to look forward to this year!
Did you catch the peak of the Quadrantids on January 3rd? The shower usually remains active until January 12th, this year the new Moon should have presented little interference.
January's Moon is new at the end of the month, on the 31st, making it an ideal time for observing dark objects without light pollution!
On the morning of February 5th Mars makes a close approach to M22, coming within a few arcminutes of the globular cluster. Rising before sunrise, the pair will be close enough to fit in the field of view of a telescope.
On February 9th, Venus will be at greatest brightness during its morning appearance for the year, and on the 23rd the planet will reach its highest altitude in the morning sky, making February an ideal time to observe this elusive morning target.
The March equinox comes on the 20th, marking the first day of Spring for the Northern hemisphere!
March comes with two new Moons, one on March 3rd and the next on the 31st. While this does not have a formally established name, this is often referred to as a "Black Moon".
The early morning of March 28th brings a planetary treat: Venus, Mars, Saturn, and the Moon are all grouped together on the Southeast horizon as the sun rises. Venus and Saturn will be approximately 2 degrees separated, letting both fit in the field of view of most astronomy binoculars.
Saturn and Mars will be grouped together on the morning of April 4th, closely enough to fit in the field of view of a telescope. They will rise about 2 hours before the sun, and be separated by approximately 28 arcminutes (about 0.5 degrees)
The Lyrid meteor shower will be peaking on April 22nd. See if you can catch some meteors from this April shower. This one probably won't bring May flowers, but some meteors are nice too. A maximum rate of 18 meteors per hour is expected. The 21 day old Moon could present some interference, but won't rise until the early morning of the 23rd, so see how many meteors you can spot!
April's new Moon comes on the 30th, bringing with it a partial solar eclipse only visible from South America, and Antarctica.
The Eta-Aquariid meteor shower peaks on May 5th, with a maximum rate of 60 meteors per hour. The 6 day old Moon should present little light pollution to reduce the number of visible meteors.
May 15th brings a total lunar eclipse! This eclipse will be visible anywhere the Moon is visible at this time, including the Americas, and Western Europe and Africa. Partial eclipse lasts from 7:28 to 10:55 pm, and the total eclipse from 8:30 to 9:55 pm (all times are listed in PST).
June 21st will be the longest day of the year, marking the solstice and the start of summer.
On June 16th Mercury will be at Greatest Western Elongation, reaching its highest point above the horizon in the morning sky and making this the best time to view this elusive horizon-hugging target until its next elongation at the end of August.
The new Moon for July comes on the 28th, so for night owls it's the perfect opportunity for viewing summertime Messier objects! Why not try finding the Lagoon and Trifid nebulas, M8 and M20? They're great for viewing with a telescope, and can be spotted even with binoculars.
The Southern delta Aquarids peak on July 31st, with a maximum rate of 20 meteors per hour expected. The shower peaks 3 days after the new Moon, making this a good time for viewing this shower.
The Perseids are here! One of the most popular meteor showers, they are active this year from July 14th to September 1st, with an estimated peak rate of 100 meteors per hour on the night of August 12th to the morning of the 13th. Unfortunately this year the Moon will be near full, which will reduce the number of meteors visible.
Saturn is at opposition the next day on the 14th, making it ideal for observing since it will be at its brightest and largest. Since Saturn's orbit is so far away from ours it does not change in size as much as the inner planets do, but this is still a great time for observing!
September 23rd marks the Fall equinox for the Northern hemisphere, and the new Moon comes two days later on the 25th, making it a great time for viewing faint deep sky objects.
Jupiter is at opposition on September 26th, making it ideal for observing since it will be at its brightest and largest. Since Jupiter's orbit is so far away from ours it does not change in size as much as the inner planets do, but this is still an excellent time to observe the king of the planets.
The Orionid meteor shower peaks on the night of October 21st and the morning of the 22nd, with an expected peak rate of 20 meteors per hour. The Moon will be new 4 days later on the 25th, presenting little interference this year.
October 25th brings a partial solar eclipse visible to Western and central Russia.
November 8th brings a total lunar eclipse visible to Asia, Oceania, and North America. The total eclipse begins at 2:17 am and ends at 3:42 am (all times given in PST).
The Leonid meteor shower peaks on November 18th, with an expected peak rate of 15 meteors per hour. The Moon will be new 5 days later on the 23rd, presenting little interference this year.
December 7th marks a "red letter" day for Mars, as the red planet is at opposition that night, and will be occulted by the Moon on the same night. Most of America, Canada, and Europe will be able to enjoy the show, with parts of the Southeastern US being outside of the area the occultation will be visible. The precise time that Mars disappears behind the Moon at depends on your location. This page has a map of the visible area and can provide timing for the event.
The Geminid meteor shower will be at its peak on the night of December 14th. This major shower can produce around 120 meteors per hour at peak. This year the Moon will be 9 days away from new, so will present some interference with this year's shower. Bundle up to catch this wintertime treat!
