What to Expect in the 2022 Election Day Solar Eclipse: The Hunter’s Moon, a Full Moon, and Five More Meteor Showers
During a total solar eclipse, the moon moves between the sun and the Earth, but during an eclipse the moon is closest to the Earth. This causes the moon to appear smaller than the sun, which causes a glowing ring around the moon.
A partial lunar eclipse of the hunter’s moon on October 28 will be visible to those in Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa, parts of North America and much of South America. When the sun, Earth and moon do not align completely, there is only part of the moon that passes into shadow.
It will be almost four days from its closest point to Earth and the moon will look a bit larger than usual.
Michael Kirk is the principal investigator of NASA’s Heliophysics Education activation team and he stated that people who can view the eclipse near the maximum will be able to see a crescent-shaped sun pointed upward.
Kirk said that the partial eclipse is a preview to next year. We want this one to rouse us, to get the word out and to get us ready for the eclipse.
Even if the sun is mostly obscured by the moon, you should not look at it without protective eyewear. It is important to wear eye protection that meets the international standards to be considered proper “eclipse glasses,” according to the American Astronomical Society.
A total lunar eclipse occurs approximately once every 1 ½ years on average, with the next total lunar eclipse not taking place until March 14, 2025 — although partial and penumbral lunar eclipses will continue to occur in the meantime. A penumbral lunar eclipse happens when the moon moves through the outer shadow, or penumbra, of the Earth, so the visual effect is more subtle.
While this partial solar eclipse and total lunar eclipse will be the last to see for the remainder of 2022, there are other space happenings to eye in the sky this year. Two more full moons will fall on November 8 (the Beaver moon) and December 7 (the Cold moon), and there are five more meteor showers on the calendar too, according to EarthSky’s 2022 meteor shower guide:
Set to turn a coppery shade of red in the sky this Tuesday, November 8, the full moon will kick off Election Day with an early morning event of its own — a total lunar eclipse.
When the full moon moves into Earth’s shadow, it darkens, but it won’t disappear. The moon is lit in a red fashion by the sun as it passes through Earth’s atmosphere.
The First Full Moon in November: The Beaver Moon, the Old Farmer’s Almanac, and Other Astronomical Tools at the Marshall Space Flight Center
“They aren’t that common, so it’s always nice to get a hold of them when you can,” said Dr. Alphonse Sterling, an astrophysicist at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. I think they are excellent learning devices for people interested in astronomy.
The first full moon in November is called the beaver moon and is named after the semiaquatic rodents. This is the time of year when beavers begin to take shelter after storing their food for the winter, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac. The moon will be at its brightest at 6:02 a.m. ET, the almanac notes.
“The whole half of the earth that is in night during the period when the moon falls into the shadow can see it. So basically, it’s available to half the world.”
It can be a rusty red, depending on the weather in your area. This happens because blue light undergoes stronger atmospheric scattering, so red light is the most dominant color highlighted.
The Cometary Comet C/2022 E3: When Will the Moon Make Its Close Approach to the Sun? An Astronomical Study of the Northeastern Sky
Take a look at the northeastern sky. During the shower, you can see some fireballs. The American Meteor Society recommends that you view the skies for at least an hour.
The comet will make a closest approach to the sun on January 12. The comet, spotted by astronomers using the Zwicky Transient Facility at the Palomar Observatory in San Diego County, California, is named C/2022 E3 (ZTF) and will make its closest pass of Earth on February 2.
The comet should be visible through binoculars in the morning sky for sky watchers in the Northern Hemisphere during most of January and those in the Southern Hemisphere in early February, according to NASA.
On any given day, it is a good bet that the International Space Station is in the sky. And if you ever want to know what planets are visible in the morning or evening sky, check The Old Farmer’s Almanac’s calculator.
The second full moon in one month is known as a blue moon, like the phrase “once in a blue moon,” according to NASA. Most months in our calendar don’t align with the moon phases because full moons occur every 29 days. A blue moon happens about every 2.5 years.
Some astronomers say the phenomenon occurs when the moon is within 90% of perigee — its closest approach to Earth in orbit. By that definition, the full moon for July will also be considered a supermoon event, according to EarthSky.
The significance of each one for a Native American tribe is different than the popularized names associated with the monthly full moon.
The 2006 Penumbral Lunar Eclipse: Weather, Weather, and Observations for the Quadrantids, a Hidden Mysterious Asteroid
A penumbral lunar eclipse will occur on May 5 for those in Africa, Asia and Australia. The penumbra is the faint part of Earth’s shadow that the moon moves through.
Depending on the weather conditions in your area, it may be a rusty or brick-colored red. This happens because blue light undergoes stronger atmospheric scattering, so red light will be the most dominant color highlighted as sunlight passes through our atmosphere and casts it on the moon.
The shower is hard to observe because of its brief peak of six hours and January weather in the Northern Hemisphere. The Quadrantids will be less seen this year due to a bright, nearly full moon.
Find an open area with a wide view of the sky. Make sure you have a chair or blanket so you can look straight up. Give your eyes about 30 to 40 minutes to adjust to darkness, without looking at your phone. — so the meteors will be easier to spot.
The shower’s peak time range is 10:50 p.m. to 1:40 a.m. The Mean Time is determined by the distances between the towns. The later time favors those in the eastern part of North America and the earlier time is more favorable for observers across Europe. The shower won’t be visible in the southern hemisphere because it doesn’t rise high enough in the sky before dawn.
It is possible to see the event, either by stepping outside or checking Time and Date’s site. The Virtual Telescope Project will also have a live stream of the shower over Rome.
Like the Geminid meteor shower, the Quadrantid comes from a mysterious asteroid or “rock comet,” rather than an icy comet, which is unusual. This asteroid takes over 6 years to complete, which is why they call it 2003 EH1, the one we are seeing today. The shower peak is short due to a small stream of particles in our atmosphere. Earth passes through this trail on a yearly basis.
The constellation Quadrans Muralis, first observed and noted in 1795 between Boötes and Draco, is no longer included in the International Astronomical Union’s list of modern constellations because it’s considered obsolete and isn’t used as a landmark for celestial navigation anymore, according to EarthSky.
The Venus-Jupiter Conjunction Event at the West Coast of the United States, and a Live Feed to Watch the Kiss Between Jupiter and Venus
Jupiter and Venus will appear very close together in the night sky on Wednesday, with the two planets set to pass each other in what’s known as a conjunction.
Conjunctions between planets happen frequently because the celestial bodies orbit around the sun in approximately the same plane as one another and trace similar paths across our sky.
Both planets would appear in the western sky around 6:58 pm on the East Coast of the United States, according to NASA.
The Royal Acquistion Society in the United Kingdom says that at their closest, they will be about the size of a full moon.
The astronomer at the Virtual Telescope Project stated that Jupiter and Venus are the bright objects in the sky after the moon. He has organized a live feed to watch “the kiss between Venus and Jupiter.”
The next full moon will occur on Tuesday, March 7, and that evening, Venus, Jupiter and Mars will also be visible in the night sky, NASA said. It’s sometimes known as the crow, crust, sap, sugar or worm moon.