There will be meteor showers, a supermoon, and a partial solar eclipse on a new astronomical calendar. If you're interested in what's going on in the sky, mark these dates on your calendar for 2022.
Quadrantids Meteor Shower - January 3 to 4
The Quadrantids, one of the greatest annual meteor showers, will help usher in 2022. For various reasons, this celestial performance stands out from the others. According to NASA, the Quadrantids are distinct from other meteors. They originate from an asteroid (most other meteor showers originate from comets). They're noted for their dazzling "fireball" meteors, which feature greater and stronger light and color bursts.
According to NASA, while most meteor showers peak over two days, the Quadrantids are only active for a few hours. During the peak, the spectacle is quite stunning, with 60 to 200 meteors per hour visible.
Unfortunately, according to NASA's website, the Quadrantid meteor shower will peak on January 3, 2022, in the afternoon on the east coast. However, because the full moon makes the sky darker for easier viewing, NASA believes you might be able to detect some meteors during the early morning hours of Jan. 3 and 4.
Lyrids Meteor Shower - April 21 to 22
The Lyrids, one of the oldest known meteor showers, will be visible from mid-April through the end of the month. NASA anticipates peak activity on the east coast in the early afternoon of April 22.
The optimum time to see it in 2022, according to EarthSky, is after sunset on April 21 and before the moonrise in the early morning.
According to NASA, Lyrid meteor showers have been seen for over 2,700 years. The Lyrid meteor shower is one of the earliest known meteor showers, with the first observation of the Lyrids occurring in China in 687 B.C.
NASA added that what appear to be bright chunks of cosmic objects falling like rain are pieces of debris from Comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher. Every year in April, Earth collides with a stream of space debris. The particles that burn in our atmosphere produce a meteor shower. The particles begin as microscopic dust specks traveling at 109,600 kilometers per hour through our atmosphere.
Eta Aquarid Meteor Shower - May 5 to 6
According to TimeAndDate, the annual Eta Aquarid meteor shower will peak overnight on May 5-6 in the pre-dawn hours.
Because of its position, the shower favors the southern hemisphere, although it may also be observed in the north. During its peak, the Eta Aquarid shower produces roughly 30 meteors every hour, according to NASA. In the northern hemisphere, this reduces to around 10 per hour.
The radiant point in the southeastern sky is the constellation Aquarius, where the meteors will appear to originate and where stargazers should watch. The meteors, on the other hand, do not originate in Aquarius. They're fragments of Halley's Comet, which circles the sun every 76 years.
Total Lunar Eclipse - May 15 to 16
KTAR said the first of two total lunar eclipses will occur on May 15-16, 2022. When the Earth's shadow covers the moon during a total lunar eclipse, the moon appears brilliant red. The occurrence is known as the "blood moon" because of this. Totality will take around 84 minutes, giving you ample opportunity to witness the real glories of nature. According to Space.com, the eclipse will peak at 12:11 a.m. EDT.
Perseid Meteor Shower - Aug. 11 to 12
The Perseids have long been regarded as "the finest meteor shower of the year," with scores of meteors seen per hour throughout the warm summer months.
Unfortunately, because the Perseids' peak will come under a full Moon on Aug. 11-12, 2022 may not be the best year to see this celestial spectacular. The Perseids are expected to be active from July 14 to September 1, according to EarthSky, so skywatchers may try looking for meteors on other evenings.
Orionid Meteor Shower - October 21
According to NASA, the Orionid meteor shower may generate 15 meteors per hour and is regarded as one of the most magnificent showers of the year. The meteors appear to be coming from Orion's constellation.
The best chance of viewing this celestial extravaganza in 2022, according to EarthSky, will be during the pre-dawn hours of October 21.
Total Lunar Eclipse - November 8
On November 8, 2022, the second and last complete lunar eclipse of the year will occur. According to Almanac.com, Moon will enter the penumbra at 3:01 a.m. EST and depart at 8:58 a.m. EST. When the Earth's shadow covers the moon during a total lunar eclipse, the moon appears brilliant red. The occurrence is sometimes referred to as a "blood moon."
Leonid Meteor Shower - November 17 to 18
The Leonid meteor shower peaks every year in mid-November, yet there are only approximately 15 meteors per hour at times. What makes it distinct, according to NASA, is that a Leonid "storm" might peak every 33 years, with hundreds to thousands of meteors seen every hour. This happened the last time in 2002. This year, the best time to see the Leonids is from November 17 to November 18 in the early morning hours.
Geminids Meteor Shower - December 4 to 17
The Geminids are one of the best meteor showers every December.
"Rich in green-colored fireballs, the Geminids are the only shower I will brave cold December nights to see," Meteoroid Environment Office lead Bill Cooke said on NASA's website in 2021.
The Geminids have a mystical aura about them, yet they're still one of the year's most popular astronomical spectacles. They've also been around for a while. According to NASA, the earliest Geminid meteor showers were observed in the 1800s. Still, they were not spectacular, with just 10 to 20 meteors each hour.
That's a big cry from the Geminids of today. According to NASA, you may view 120 Geminid meteors every hour during the shower's height under ideal circumstances.
The Geminid meteor shower will be visible in 2022 from December 4 to 17, peak at 8 a.m. Eastern on December 14. As a result, the ideal time to see this spectacle on December 14 may be in the pre-dawn hours.
Ursid Meteor Shower - December 22
The Ursid meteor shower will conclude the meteor shower season in 2022, peaking on December 22.
According to the American Meteor Society (AMS), the Ursids are commonly disregarded and ignored since it peaks just before Christmas and the rates are significantly lower than the Geminds, which peaks about a week before the Ursids.
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