Before we excite you with the 3 major celestial events scheduled to occur in 2022, let’s figure out what celestial events are. These pertain to an astronomical field of interest that involves all celestial objects, including objects relating to visible heavens or the sky, such as the moon, sun, and stars. Therefore, all rare-occurring events that co-relate to these celestial objects are known as celestial events.
It is no mystery that the year 2021 was one of the most chaotic due to the progression of the pandemic. However, it was one of the best years for newbie astronomers. Some celestial events occurring in 2021 included an exceptional solar eclipse, also referred to as a “ring of fire”. Additionally, the yearly Perseid meteor shower also hit, leaving the Earth with dark skies. Lastly, 2021 marked the year of a surprise comet, as it adorned the sky in December, also known as “Leonard”.
If astronomers are nearly half as lucky, they may witness another comet spreading through the solar system in 2022. Moreover, newbie stargazers may be in for a treat through the sight of meteor showers and numerous lunar events that may be enjoyable through moderate weather, a clear patch of the unpolluted night sky, and a good pair of binoculars.
Top 3 Celestial Events Scheduled For 2022
Luckily, quite a few of these celestial events are lined up in 2022. These will exclusively be a sight for sore eyes within North America. Let’s give you a little preview of what’s to come! Here’s a list of the top 3 celestial events lined up in 2022:
1. 5th May: The Eta Aquariids Meteor Shower
Among celestial events, meteor showers are one of the most wonderful sights. The one on 5th May is likely to appear around 4:00 AM in local American time, merely 1-2 hours before dawn. It would be best to direct your eyes towards the eastern horizon for the Aquarius constellation. Star charts or stargazing apps might be a hero if you’re not equipped to know where this lies.
If you’re calm and patient enough, you will witness more than a few shooting stars across the beautiful sky. These shooting stars are backed by the prediction of raining down at 10-20 meteors per hour. Moreover, according to EarthSky, if you’re one of the less fortunate and fail to witness the shooting stars on the 5th of May morning, you may be able to witness a few separated fireballs around dawn time on the 4th or 6th of May.
The meteors mentioned above come under the rare two showers when a trail of dust and debris leftover from Halley’s Comet crosses Earth’s path. The other is known as the Orionids shower, a smaller one that emerges annually in October.
This well-known ball of dirt and ice has emerged within the range of our sight multiple times in the past. An instance in recorded history was in 1066 when a hint of the fireball was sown into the Bayeux Tapestry. This one comes back after 75 years and is likely to reappear in the middle of 2061.
2. 19th-27th June: A Row Of Five Or Perhaps, Six Planets
If you tend to wake up early in the morning, you might glimpse a rare symmetrical arrangement of planets in the middle or perhaps, at the end of June in 2022. The prediction entails that Venus, Mercury, Mars, Saturn, and Jupiter are meant to adjust in a breath-taking row as they sprawl across the skies of North America.
If you wish to increase your chances of seeing this wondrous event, direct your eyes towards the southeast horizon at the time of the morning twilight. (Again, stargazing apps might help with this.) The brightest planets to appear are likely to be Jupiter and Venus. For the others, you may need some direction of a star chart to locate the beautiful diagonal line, which will start with Mercury sitting low upon the eastern horizon and Saturn located on end high up in the South.
A moon shaped like a crescent is also likely to join the party during these wondrous mornings. According to National Geographic, all five planets are likely to be visible to the bare human eye. However, those equipped with a little light pollution and a good telescope may witness a 6th planet, i.e., Uranus, with its all-icy and large-sized glory. This may be hanging slightly above Venus, appearing as a deep green dot.
3. 13th-14th December: The Geminid Meteor Shower
If you’ve missed out on the Perseids meteor shower in 2022, this year has the wonderful winter Geminids planned. This constellation is meant to reflect off of Gemini, also commonly referred to as the “twins” constellation. Its main identification factors are the radiant, bright-shining stars Pollux and Castor.
This event is a consequence of the 3200 Phaethon, i.e., a unique mixture of a comet and an asteroid that spins around the sun after 1.4 years, leaving a line of rocks and dust in the way. It is likely to generate 120-160 meteors per hour, and according to the New York Times, the Geminids and the Perseids are the most sought-after meteor showers lined up every year.
Conclusion
Therefore, if you’re an astronomy lover, you do not want to miss out on some of these exceptionally beautiful celestial events. Let your eyes experience a wonderful sight by keeping them alert for the wonders of the skies, planets, sun, and moon in 2022.
Related Links
Star Register
Stellar Chemistry, The Universe And All Within It
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