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Sky
2022
• BY MARTIN RATCLIFFE AND RICHARD TALCOTT •
contents
2 Jan. 2022 Meteors launch the year with a bang
3 Feb. 2022 A bright comet for cool winter nights
4 March 2022 The morning star hits its peak
5 April 2022 A match made in heaven
6 May 2022 Totality comes to America
7 June 2022 The Sun awakens
8 July 2022 Pluto reaches the Archer’s edge
9 Aug. 2022 Summer nights belong to Saturn
10 Sept. 2022 Brilliant Jupiter rules the night
11 Oct. 2022 Spot elusive Mercury at dawn
12 Nov. 2022 Luna’s double dip into Earth’s shadow
13 Dec. 2022 The Red Planet climbs high in the sky Mars returns to brilliance in late
14 2023 Preview Looking ahead to next year … 2022 and climbs nearly overhead
for lucky Northern Hemisphere
observers. ESA & MPS FOR OSIRIS TEAM
Martin Ratcliffe is a planetarium professional with Evans
& Sutherland and enjoys observing from Wichita, Kansas.
Richard Talcott is a contributing editor of Astronomy. A supplement to Astronomy magazine
2022
Jan Meteors launch the
year with a bang
S M T W T F S
1
3 4 5 6 7 8
10 11 12 13 14 15
T
16 18 19 20 21 22
23 24 26 27 28 29
he New Year gets
30 31 off to a great start
when a prolific
meteor shower
3 Quadrantid meteor peaks just one
shower peaks
day after New Moon. The
The Moon passes 3° Quadrantids reach their
south of Mercury,
8 p.m. EST
maximum Jan. 3, when up to
120 meteors per hour can rain
4 The Moon passes
4° south of Saturn,
down before dawn under ideal
noon EST conditions. Of course, January
5 The Moon passes often brings cold temperatures
4° south of Jupiter, and cloudy skies. But if the
7 p.m. EST weather cooperates, observers
7 The Moon passes 4° should be in for a treat.
south of Neptune, The Quadrantids derive A Quadrantid fireball blazed above a moonlit landscape in Parsonsfield,
5 a.m. EST Maine, on Jan. 3, 2021. Fortunately, dark skies will prevail for the peak of
from an extinct comet that this year’s shower. ABHIJIT PATIL
Mercury is at astronomers now classify as
greatest eastern
elongation (19°),
asteroid 2003 EH1. During belonged to the now-defunct December’s Geminids don’t
6 a.m. EST countless trips around the Sun, constellation Quadrans fare much better because a
8 Venus is in the comet’s ices turned to gas Muralis, for which the waning gibbous Moon shares
inferior conjunction, and liberated tons of dust par- shower is named. When the the sky after 10 p.m. local time.
8 p.m. EST ticles that now occupy the cur- International Astronomical This shower produces lots of
11 The Moon passes rent asteroid’s orbit. Earth Union officially defined the bright meteors, however, and
1.5° south of encounters these cosmic bread constellation boundaries in the could deliver a decent show.
Uranus, 6 a.m. EST crumbs the first week of every 1920s, it incorporated the stars Of the other major showers,
Asteroid Juno is in year. As our planet sweeps up of Quadrans Muralis into the Eta Aquariids offer the best
conjunction with
the dust motes, friction with Boötes and Draco the Dragon. prospects. They peak May 6
the Sun, 5 p.m. EST
air molecules incinerates them Viewing conditions for the under a waxing crescent Moon
16 Pluto is in
conjunction with
and creates the flashes of light Quadrantids stand head and that sets before the prime pre-
the Sun, 10 a.m. EST we call meteors. shoulders above those for the dawn hours. Sadly, a waning
23 Mercury is in The Quadrantid shower is other two big annual meteor crescent Moon interferes with
inferior conjunction, relatively young, and the par- showers. The Perseid shower’s both October’s Orionids and
5 a.m. EST ticles have not had enough peak Aug. 12 coincides with a November’s Leonids. The thin-
29 The Moon passes time to spread into a broad Full Moon, which will wipe ner crescent at the Orionids’
2° south of Mars, stream. So, even though the out faint meteors and render peak makes conditions for that
10 a.m. EST shower remains active from bright ones less impressive. shower a bit better.
The Moon passes Dec. 28 through Jan. 12, it has
10° south of Venus,
9 p.m. EST
a sharp peak. This pinnacle Meteor showers in 2022
should arrive around 21h UT
30 The Moon passes Name Peak date Moon’s phase Prospects
8° south of
on the 3rd, which favors view-
Mercury, 7 p.m. EST ers in Europe and Asia. Still, Quadrantids Jan. 3 New Moon Excellent
those in North America Lyrids April 22 Last Quarter Moon Fair
should have a good show the Eta Aquariids May 6 Waxing crescent Excellent
mornings of both Jan. 3 and 4. Perseids Aug. 12 Full Moon Poor
The meteors appear to radi- Orionids Oct. 21 Waning crescent Good
ate from a point in northern Leonids Nov. 17 Waning crescent Fair
Boötes the Herdsman. Until Geminids Dec. 14 Waning gibbous Poor
a century ago, this region
2 Sky Guide 2022
2022
A bright comet for Feb
cool winter nights
S M T
W T F S
2 3 4 5
6 7 9 10 11 12
13 14 15 17 18 19
I
20 21 22 24 25 26
27 28
n many years, the brightest N
comet visible in our skies PISCES
is a first-time visitor from 7
ο
the distant solar system. δ
ε 2 The Moon passes
Such comets typically 4 ζ
4° south of Jupiter,
arrive with little warning, so μ
ν 4 p.m. EST
observers need to keep abreast Feb 1
E 3 The Moon passes 4°
of the latest comet news by south of Neptune,
ξ 29
checking Sky This Month in α 4 p.m. EST
Astronomy magazine or the 26 7 The Moon passes
Astronomy.com website. Path of Comet 19P/Borrelly 1.2° south of
Periodic comets tend to be Jan 23 Uranus, 3 p.m. EST
more predictable. And 2022 12 Venus is at
offers the return of a favorite greatest brilliancy,
CETUS 2° 1 p.m. EST
that hasn’t visited Earth’s
vicinity since 2015. Comet Venus passes 7°
Comet Borrelly should peak at 8th magnitude as it slides through Pisces
ASY-SG0122_20 north of Mars,
19P/Borrelly should reach the Fish in early February. ALL ILLUSTRATIONS: ASTRONOMY: ROEN KELLY
8 p.m. EST
8th magnitude when it peaks
16 Mercury is at
in late January and early greatest western
February. Although that’s too elongation (26°),
faint to see with the naked eye, 4 p.m. EST
it should be bright enough to 27 The Moon passes
see well with binoculars and 9° south of Venus,
to put on a nice show through 1 a.m. EST
most telescopes. The Moon passes
Borrelly reaches perihelion 4° south of Mars,
4 a.m. EST
— its closest approach to the
28 The Moon passes
Sun during its 6.85-year orbit
4° south of
— Feb. 1 at a distance of Mercury, 3 p.m. EST
121 million miles. Perihelion The Moon passes
coincides with a New Moon, 4° south of Saturn,
which makes the last week of 7 p.m. EST
January and first week of
February the prime viewing
window. The comet should
The Deep Space 1 probe revealed
the elongated nucleus of Comet
Moon Phases
display a compact head and a 19P/Borrelly during its close flyby First Quarter
in September 2001. NASA/JPL
short tail that flows to the east. Full Moon
Borrelly moves from Cetus
into Pisces during this period. Last Quarter
This area lies high in the same distance west of magni- which successfully tested the New Moon
southwest once twilight fades tude 4.3 Omicron (ο) Psc on space agency’s then-new
to darkness and doesn’t set the 7th. ion-propulsion technology Events that can be viewed
until around 11 p.m. local time. French astronomer — within 1,349 miles of this with the naked eye
Fortunately, early February Alphonse Borrelly discovered comet in September 2001. The Events that can be viewed
provides some bright guide this comet from Marseille probe delivered the sharpest with binoculars
stars to help you find the Observatory on Dec. 28, 1904. views of any comet’s nucleus Events that can be viewed
comet. Borrelly passes 0.4° If 19P/Borrelly sounds famil- to that date, revealing a variety with a telescope
east of magnitude 4.8 Mu (μ) iar, it should. NASA sent its of terrains across its 5-mile-
Piscium on the 2nd and the Deep Space 1 spacecraft — long body.
www.Astronomy.com 3
2022
March The morning star
hits its peak
S M T W TF S
1 34 5
6 7 8 9 11 12
13 14 15 16 17 19
V
20 21 22 23 24 26
27 28 29 30 31
enus dominates
the morning sky
from January to
September. It
2 Mercury passes reaches its peak
0.7° south of
at greatest elongation March
Saturn, 8 a.m. EST
20, when it lies 47° west of the
5 Jupiter is in
conjunction with
Sun and appears 11° high in
the Sun, 9 a.m. EST the southeast an hour before
7 The Moon passes sunrise. The inner planet then
0.8° south of shines at magnitude –4.5
Uranus, 1 a.m. EST against the background stars
12 Venus passes 4° of Capricornus. Venus shares
north of Mars, the Sea Goat’s abode with two
9 a.m. EST other planets: Mars appears 4° An abandoned house served as a spooky foreground for brilliant Venus
13 Neptune is in to Venus’ lower right while during its exceptional evening appearance in April 2020. BARRY BURGESS
conjunction with
Saturn lies 8° to Venus’ lower
the Sun, 8 a.m. EDT
left. The inner planet shines Why does Venus appear into distance along the horizon
20 Venus is at greatest
western elongation
more than 100 times brighter higher in February than when than into elevation.
(47°), 5 a.m. EDT than either of its neighbors. it’s farther from the Sun a February and March are
Equinox (northern
Although March 20 marks month later? Solar system also great times to view Venus
spring/southern Venus’ peak separation from geometry is more complicated through a telescope because it
autumn begins), the Sun, the planet achieves than you might suspect. Blame appears large and shows a
noon EDT other significant milestones the orientation of the ecliptic beautiful crescent phase. On
Mercury passes 1.3° during this morning appari- — the apparent path of the Sun Feb. 1, the inner world appears
south of Jupiter, tion. It dazzles at magnitude across our sky that the planets 49" across and just 15 percent
6 p.m. EDT
–4.9 Feb. 12, its maximum follow closely. It makes a shal- lit. At greatest brilliancy, the
27 The Moon passes disk spans 41" and the Sun
brightness for the year. It then low angle to the eastern hori-
4° south of Mars,
11 p.m. EDT stands 15° above the south- zon at dawn in early spring, so illuminates 26 percent of its
eastern horizon an hour Venus’ large distance from the Earth-facing hemisphere.
28 The Moon passes
7° south of Venus, before sunup. Sun in March translates more When March rolls around,
6 a.m. EDT Venus displays a 32"-diameter
The Moon passes disk that’s 38 percent lit. And at
4° south of Saturn, Altair greatest elongation, the planet
8 a.m. EDT AQUIL A shows a disk that measures 25"
29 Venus passes 2° SAGIT TARIUS across and appears half-lit.
north of Saturn, Venus also participates in
9 a.m. EDT
several pretty conjunctions this
30 The Moon passes Enif year. The inner world passes 7°
4° south of Jupiter,
11 a.m. EDT north of Mars on Feb. 12 and
Venus
The Moon passes 4°
4° north of the Red Planet on
Mars
south of Neptune, March 12. Venus catches up to
3 p.m. EDT Saturn CAPRIC ORNUS Saturn on March 29, sliding 2°
AQUARIUS 10° north of the ringed world. But
the best event comes April 30,
March 20, 45 minutes before sunrise when Venus passes 0.2° south
Looking southeast
of Jupiter. We’ll have more
ASY-SG0122_21
Venus dominates the early morning sky as it reaches its peak in March on this stunning conjunction
near its sister planets Mars and Saturn. next month.
4 Sky Guide 2022
2022
A match made in April
heaven
S M T W T F S
2
3 4 5 6 7 8
10 11 12 13 14 15
A
17 18 19 20 21 22
24 25 26 27 28 29
ll the planets
orbit the Sun in
nearly the same
plane, called the
ecliptic, and 2 Mercury is in
superior
they all move at different rates.
conjunction,
So it shouldn’t come as a sur- 7 p.m. EDT
prise that these solar system 3 The Moon passes
worlds frequently pass close to 0.6° south of
Venus (the brightest object at left) paired with Jupiter in evening twilight
one another from our perspec- above the waters of Lake Namtso in Tibet on July 15, 2015. JEFF DAI
Uranus, 1 p.m. EDT
tive. April 30 brings a particu- 4 Mars passes 0.3°
larly spectacular event when south of Saturn,
Enif 6 p.m. EDT
Venus skims just 0.2° south of
Jupiter. The two brightest 11 Asteroid Pallas is
planets haven’t appeared this AQUARIUS in conjunction
with the Sun,
close in more than five years. Saturn
11 p.m. EDT
But the final week of April PEGASUS
12 Jupiter passes 0.1°
offers a second, even closer north of Neptune,
conjunction for those seeking Mars 4 p.m. EDT
a challenge. Let’s pick up the 22 Lyrid meteor
action in the predawn sky on Jupiter Venus shower peaks
Fomalhaut
the 27th. Find an observing 24 The Moon passes
site with an unobstructed 5° south of Saturn,
eastern horizon and wait 10° 5 p.m. EDT
for Venus to rise about April 30, 45 minutes before sunrise 25 The Moon passes
Looking east 4° south of Mars,
100 minutes before the Sun.
6 p.m. EDT
Then train your binoculars ASY-SG0122_22
Venus passes within 0.2° of Jupiter before dawn April 30. The two brightest 26 The Moon passes
or a telescope on the brilliant planets haven’t appeared this close since August 2016.
4° south of Venus,
planet and look for the slightly 10 p.m. EDT
bluish glow of 8th-magnitude joins the scene about a half- (Again, this is the separation The Moon passes 4°
Neptune to the beacon’s hour after Venus rises. from the central U.S.; the gap south of Neptune,
east-northeast. That same morning, you closes slightly the farther west 11 p.m. EDT
From the central U.S., the can’t miss Jupiter’s presence. you are.) Australia and Japan 27 The Moon passes
two appear 25' apart. (They’ll It rises less than 10 minutes are once again favored for see- 4° south of Jupiter,
be a little closer for those on after Venus and appears 3.2° ing the closest approach of 15'. 4 a.m. EDT
the West Coast and slightly to the inner planet’s lower If the weather doesn’t cooper- Venus passes
farther apart from the East left. The gas giant shines at ate on the 30th, try again 0.007° south
of Neptune,
Coast.) The planets come magnitude –2.1, two full the morning of May 1. U.S. 3 p.m. EDT
closest — less than 1' from magnitudes fainter than observers will then see Jupiter
29 Mercury is at
each other — at around Venus. The next morning 33' to Venus’ upper right. greatest eastern
19h UT, placing Australian finds them 2.3° apart and These two planets haven’t elongation (21°),
and Japanese observers in the 29th brings them within been this close since Aug. 27, 4 a.m. EDT
prime viewing locations. 1.4° of each other. 2016, and that conjunction 30 Venus passes 0.2°
Although Venus and Neptune All this sets the stage for was much harder to view south of Jupiter,
3 p.m. EDT
climb higher as twilight April 30’s spectacular con- because the planets set less
brightens, Neptune’s faint junction. The two planets rise than an hour after the Sun. To Partial solar eclipse,
4 p.m. EDT
glow quickly fades from view. together with Jupiter 29' — find a more favorable meeting
But don’t go inside just yet. A the apparent diameter of a of these worlds, you have to go
slender waning crescent Moon Full Moon — to Venus’ left. back to Aug. 18, 2014.
www.Astronomy.com 5
2022
May Totality comes
to America
S M T W T F S
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
9 10 11 12 13 14
15 17 18 19 20 21
O
23 24 25 26 27 28
29 31
bservers across (all eclipse
North America times are in
get to witness EDT). This
two spectacular occurs on the
2 The Moon passes total eclipses Moon’s west-
1.8° south of
of the Moon during 2022. ern limb, which
Mercury,
10 a.m. EDT The first occurs the night of appears closest
5 Uranus is in
May 15/16 and the second the to the horizon as
conjunction with morning of Nov. 8. In a coinci- it rises. You should
the Sun, 3 a.m. EDT dence of cosmic proportions, start noticing a dusky
6 Eta Aquariid both of these eclipses feature shading by 10 p.m. or so.
meteor shower 85 minutes of totality. The Moon reaches the The Moon turned stunning shades
peaks The first event begins the outer edge of Earth’s dark of orange and red when it passed
15 Total lunar eclipse, through Earth’s umbral shadow
evening of May 15. What you umbral shadow at 10:28 p.m. the night of Jan. 20/21, 2019.
midnight EDT see depends on where you live. This shadow appears a deep RATHIJIT BANERJEE
17 Mars passes 0.6° Viewers on the East Coast can gray at first, but as more of
south of Neptune,
catch the entire eclipse in a Luna slides into the umbra, it The Moon resides in Libra
7 p.m. EDT
dark sky. From the Midwest, takes on a distinctly orange with the 1st-magnitude red
21 Mercury is in
inferior conjunction,
the initial penumbral stages hue. This coloring shows up supergiant star Antares in
3 p.m. EDT start during twilight, enhanc- best through a telescope. Scorpius hanging 15° below
22 The Moon passes 4° ing the appearance of this Totality begins at 11:29 p.m., it. If you live in the country,
south of Saturn, normally subtle shadow. when the Moon’s trailing edge you’ll enjoy a spectacular view
1 a.m. EDT Observers in the Rocky enters the umbra. Although of the ruddy Moon set in a
24 The Moon passes 4° Mountain states witness the Earth blocks most of the Sun’s star-studded dome with the
south of Neptune, early partial phases in twilight. light from reaching the Moon summer Milky Way rising in
6 a.m. EDT And from the West Coast, at this stage, our atmosphere the east. The scene looks par-
The Moon passes totality begins during twilight in not opaque. Air molecules ticularly breathtaking once
3° south of Mars,
while the eclipse’s latter stages scatter out blue light while your eyes become dark
3 p.m. EDT
take place in a dark sky. letting some red through to adapted, typically between
The Moon passes
3° south of Jupiter,
The eclipse commences journey the additional quarter mideclipse (12:12 a.m.) and
8 p.m. EDT when the Full Moon first of a million miles to the Moon, the end of totality (12:54 a.m.).
26 The Moon passes touches Earth’s outer penum- artistically bathing it in an The partial phases wrap up at
0.2° south of Venus, bral shadow at 9:32 p.m. EDT ethereal orange glow. 1:55 a.m. as the Moon exits the
11 p.m. EDT umbra, and the penumbral
28 The Moon passes stages end at 2:51 a.m.
Spica
0.3° south of Try capturing some wide-
Uranus, 10 a.m. EDT field views of the eclipse with
LIBR A
Mars passes 0.6° your camera. Set the camera
south of Jupiter, Eclipsed Moon
on a sturdy tripod and try to
8 p.m. EDT OPHIUCHUS
position some photogenic
objects in the foreground for
Antares an artistic effect. You can
CENTAURUS
10°
SC ORPIUS expose for up to 30 seconds
using a 50mm or wider-angle
lens before star trails become
May 15, 11:00 P.M. CDT apparent. You can freeze the
Looking southeast
sky’s motion with a longer lens
ASY-SG0122_23
A total lunar eclipse graces the skies above North America the night of if you use shorter exposures
May 15/16. During totality, the Moon resides in Libra. and higher ISO settings.
6 Sky Guide 2022
2022
The Sun awakens S M
June T
W T F S
1 2 3 4
5 6 8 9 10 11
12 13 15 16 17 18
19 21 22 23 24 25
26 27 29 30
11 Venus passes 1.6°
south of Uranus,
9 a.m. EDT
16 Mercury is at
greatest western
elongation (23°),
The northern lights played above an icy landscape near Tromsø in northern Norway on Dec. 5, 2015. Aurorae 11 a.m. EDT
W
should be on the increase in 2022 as the Sun grows more active. JAMIE COOPER
18 The Moon passes 4°
south of Saturn,
hen most warranting some to say the Cycle 24 an odd double peak. 8 a.m. EDT
people peak could occur in late 2024. You never know what you’re 20 The Moon passes 4°
think of The overall picture should be going to see when you target south of Neptune,
1 p.m. EDT
observ- clearer by this summer. the Sun, which is a big part of
ing, they Sunspot numbers have the enjoyment. 21 Solstice (northern
summer/southern
think of dark nights under the been recorded the same way Of course, sunspots are only winter begins),
stars. But that ignores half the since Swiss astronomer Rudolf one aspect of solar activity. 5 a.m. EDT
day when a single star domi- Wolff devised the system in Prominences, filaments, and The Moon passes
nates the sky. Viewing the Sun 1848. It combines the number solar flares also ramp up as the 3° south of Jupiter,
can be just as rewarding as of individual sunspots with number of sunspots increases. 10 a.m. EDT
nighttime observations, as the number of sunspot groups Hydrogen-alpha filters, which 22 The Moon passes
long as you take proper pre- while also taking into account let through only a narrow band 0.9° south of Mars,
cautions. Don’t risk your eye- the observer’s instrument and of solar wavelengths, enhance 2 p.m. EDT
sight — make sure you use viewing conditions. the view of these features. 23 Mercury passes 3°
north of Aldebaran,
only an approved solar filter. We’ve seen quick rises in Oddly enough, solar
10 a.m. EDT
Now’s a great time to start sunspot numbers before, how- activity isn’t just for daytime
24 The Moon passes
observing the Sun because ever. In 2011, the count leapt observers. Powerful solar flares 0.05° south of
solar activity is on the rise. to 140, only to fall back to 50 and coronal mass ejections Uranus, 6 p.m. EDT
Solar Cycle 25 began in the following year. It then occasionally send streams of 26 The Moon passes
December 2019 and the hovered in the range of 85 for charged particles toward 3° north of Venus,
11-year cycle has been building most of 2012 before a final Earth. When these particles 4 a.m. EDT
ever since. The big questions burst in early 2014. This gave reach our planet, Earth’s mag- 27 The Moon passes 4°
are when will solar maximum netic field channels them north of Mercury,
occur, and how high will it be? toward the magnetic poles, 4 a.m. EDT
Every decade, a group of where they can energize atoms
scientists gathers to predict and molecules and cause them
the next cycle. After compar- to glow. These aurorae, or
ing five dozen models of the northern lights, are among
Sun, they announced in 2020 nature’s most beautiful sights.
that Cycle 25 should peak in As solar activity increases,
July 2025 with a sunspot num- aurorae will grow more com-
ber of 115. That would match mon and more often reach
Cycle 24, which was the weak- lower latitudes, increasing
est cycle in a century. Dark sunspots and bright filaments your chances of seeing them.
By mid-2021, observations scarred the Sun’s face while Just don’t wait until June — the
glowing prominences arced high
showed a faster-than-expected above the solar limb April 24, 2021. short nights leave only a brief
rise in sunspot numbers, ARTURO BUENROSTRO window for aurora viewing.
www.Astronomy.com 7
2022
July Pluto reaches the
Archer’s edge
S M T W T
F S
1 2
3 4 5 7 8 9
10 11 12 14 15 16
A
17 18 19 21 22 23
24 25 26 27 29 30
remarkably
31 N
dynamic little
world lurks in
SAGIT TARIUS
the outer reaches
1 Venus passes 4° of our solar sys-
north of Aldebaran,
tem. Pluto boasts moving Pluto reaches
8 p.m. EDT opposition
glaciers of frozen nitrogen, Path
SAO of Pl July 19
15 The Moon passes E July 1 uto
4° south of Saturn,
massive mountains built from 188829 6
water ice, and even a tenuous 11
4 p.m. EDT 16
21
16 Mercury is in nitrogen atmosphere. NASA’s 26
31
superior New Horizons spacecraft
conjunction, revealed this exceptional dwarf
4 p.m. EDT planet during its historic flyby SAO 188737
17 The Moon passes 3° in July 2015. Seven years later,
south of Neptune, the time is right to track down 0.1°
9 p.m. EDT
Pluto as it reaches opposition ASY-SG0122_24
Everyone’s favorite dwarf planet comes to opposition in July, when it lies
18 The Moon passes
in July and remains visible among the background stars of eastern Sagittarius.
2° south of Jupiter,
9 p.m. EDT all night.
Finding Pluto isn’t easy, it’s been mired in for the past planet’s westward motion carries
19 Pluto is at
opposition, however. The planet spans just two decades. Second, the dis- it to a point 21' due west of SAO
10 p.m. EDT 1,477 miles and lies more than tant world lies near the deep- 188829 by July 1.
21 The Moon passes 3.1 billion miles from Earth, sky landmark M75, a globular At opposition on the 19th,
1.1° north of Mars, rendering it as a dim, 15th- cluster that makes finding the 46' separate the planet and
1 p.m. EDT magnitude dot in our sky. But correct field fairly simple. star. By that point, you may
Dwarf planet Ceres two factors make the challenge M75 glows at magnitude 8.5 want to add magnitude 7.6
is in conjunction slightly less daunting this year. from its perch in Sagittarius SAO 188737 to your guide-star
with the Sun,
9 p.m. EDT First, Pluto’s leisurely orbital on that constellation’s border list. Pluto lies 24' northeast of
motion has carried it to the with Capricornus. Look for it this star at opposition and
22 The Moon passes
0.2° north of eastern edge of Sagittarius 8° south-southwest of 3rd- pulls within 10' of it by July 31.
Uranus, 2 a.m. EDT and away from the rich magnitude Beta (β) Capricorni. To see Pluto in the eye-
26 The Moon passes background of Pluto lies within 3° of M75 all piece, you’ll need at least a
4° north of Venus, the Milky summer. Get used to exploiting 6-inch telescope, and bigger is
10 a.m. EDT Way this globular cluster as a sign- better. You’ll likely find plenty
post to Pluto — the two objects of large scopes at a summer
remain within 3° of each other star party or a local astronomy
until 2025. club, and many people willing
Once you’ve found M75, aim to target the planet for you.
your telescope 1.4° southwest to If you’re a solitary observer,
the magnitude 6.0 star SAO try sketching Pluto’s field of
188829. This is the brightest view one night and returning
star in the vicinity and should to the same area a night or two
be easy to pick out. Pluto later. The “star” that changes
passes 7' due north of this star position between your two
the evening of June 13. The observations is Pluto. You can
also image the field every
Pluto’s spectacularly diverse couple of days over a period
landscape surprised scientists of several weeks and create a
when NASA’s New Horizons
spacecraft zoomed past time-lapse recording of the
in July 2015. NASA/JHUAPL/SWRI planet’s westward motion.
8 Sky Guide 2022
2022
Summer nights Aug
belong to Saturn
S M T W T F S
1 2 3 4 6
7 8 9 10 12 13
14 15 16 17 18 20
S
21 22 23 24 25 26
28 29 30 31
aturn reaches
opposition and
peak visibility
Aug. 14. It then
rises at sunset, 1 Mars passes 1.4°
south of Uranus,
climbs highest in the south
5 a.m. EDT
around midnight local time
4 Mercury passes 0.7°
(1 a.m. daylight time), and sets north of Regulus,
at sunrise. The ringed planet 1 a.m. EDT
also lies closest to Earth at 7 Venus passes 7°
opposition, so it shines bright- The Cassini orbiter captured Saturn in all its glory in October 2004. The south of Pollux,
est and looms largest when spacecraft took 126 images over two hours to create this mosaic. NASA/JPL/SSI 6 a.m. EDT
viewed through a telescope. 11 The Moon passes
Don’t limit yourself to view- Although these tempests are steadily at 10th magnitude. 4° south of Saturn,
ing Saturn on only one night, rare, they can grow to planet- Two-toned Iapetus poses more midnight EDT
however. The planet’s year starts wide features. of a challenge. This moon 12 Perseid meteor
shower peaks
in March when it becomes vis- The rings offer their own shines at 10th magnitude when
ible low in the southeast before structure. Look for the broad farthest west of the planet, but 14 The Moon passes 3°
south of Neptune,
dawn. Watch Venus pass 2° due Cassini Division that sepa- fades to 12th magnitude when 6 a.m. EDT
north of Saturn on March 29, rates the outer A ring from farthest east. It reaches greatest
Saturn is at
then see Mars slide 0.3° south the brighter B ring. Under western elongation at the end opposition,
of the ringed world April 4. excellent viewing conditions, of August’s first week. 1 p.m. EDT
The planets soon go their the dusky C ring shows up After opposition, Saturn 15 The Moon passes
separate ways. Saturn rises ear- closer to the planet. continues moving westward 1.9° south of
lier each day as it heads east- Also look for the brightest until late October, when it Jupiter, 6 a.m. EDT
ward relative to the starry members of Saturn’s vast col- stops 0.6° from magnitude 4.3 18 The Moon passes
backdrop of Capricornus. This lection of moons. Any scope Iota (ι) Cap. By December, the 0.6° north of
Uranus, 11 a.m. EDT
motion stops 2° shy of this con- reveals 8th-magnitude Titan, ringed planet is strictly an eve-
stellation’s border with Aquarius while 4- to 6-inch instruments ning object, standing 25° high 19 The Moon passes
3° north of Mars,
in early June. The planet then bring in four more. Tethys, in the southwest as twilight 8 a.m. EDT
begins moving westward, pass- Dione, and Rhea all glow fades to darkness.
22 Asteroid Vesta is
ing 1.5° north of Capricornus’ at opposition,
brightest star, magnitude 2.8 N AQUARIUS 3 p.m. EDT
Delta (δ) Capricorni, on July 8. 25 The Moon passes
18
Saturn shines at magnitude 0.2 4° north of Venus,
at opposition, some 10 times μ 42 Saturn reaches 5 p.m. EDT
opposition
brighter than Delta. 44 August 14 27 Mercury is at
June 10 25 45 greatest eastern
Few sights in the night sky July 10 elongation (27°),
compare with a telescopic view 25 Path 29
of noon EDT
of Saturn. In mid-August, the E Aug 9 Satu
24 rn 29 The Moon passes
world shows a slightly oval disk Sept 8 Oct 8 7° north of
δ
measuring 19" across the equa- 23 Mercury, 7 a.m. EDT
γ 23
tor, surrounded by a spectacular ι
ring system that spans 43" and CAPRIC ORNUS
tilts 14° to our line of sight. 30
Study Saturn’s golden-hued
1°
globe looking for subtle atmo- κ
spheric belts. And keep an eye The ringed planet resides in Capricornus the Sea Goat throughout 2022,
open for erupting storms. peaking at magnitude 0.2 at itsASY-SG0122_25
August opposition.
www.Astronomy.com 9
2022
Sept Brilliant Jupiter rules
the night
S M T W T F S
1 2
4 5 6 7 8 9
11 12 13 14 15 16
J
18 19 20 21 22 23 24
26 27 28 29 30
upiter’s bril- Jupiter’s atmospheric
liance stands bands and the Great Red
Spot stand out in this
out even Hubble image, though
more than amateur telescopes
4 Venus passes 0.8° usual this can reveal many of
north of Regulus, these features. NASA/
year. At opposition
9 p.m. EDT ESA/A. SIMON (GSFC)
Sept. 26, it shines at
7 Asteroid Juno is
at opposition,
magnitude –2.94 —
1 p.m. EDT the brightest it’s been attentive observers
8 The Moon passes in 12 years. That’s can see these features
4° south of Saturn, because opposition move in as little as
7 a.m. EDT occurs less than four 15 minutes. The southern
Mars passes 4° months prior to the planet’s belt hosts the Great Red Spot,
north of Aldebaran, perihelion, or closest approach which typically rotates on to
9 p.m. EDT to the Sun. Also consider that and 46.7" through the poles Jupiter’s Earth-facing hemi-
10 The Moon passes 3° the giant world resides in the — a difference that’s obvious sphere every other night.
south of Neptune,
dim constellation Pisces, and once you know to look for it. Also check out the planet’s
3 p.m. EDT
that it climbs higher in the Look for two dark equatorial four bright Galilean moons:
11 The Moon passes
1.8° south of
Northern Hemisphere sky belts, one on either side of a Io, Europa, Ganymede, and
Jupiter, 11 a.m. EDT than it has in six years. brighter zone that coincides Callisto. They provide an ever-
14 The Moon passes Jupiter first becomes prom- with the planet’s equator, run- changing display as they orbit
0.8° north of inent in the morning sky in ning parallel to each other. A the planet in periods ranging
Uranus, 7 p.m. EDT April, when it has a spectacu- whole series of alternating from two to 17 days.
16 Neptune is at lar conjunction with Venus on belts and zones shows up dur- Jupiter continues to domi-
opposition, the 30th (see April for details). ing moments of good seeing. nate the evening sky through
6 p.m. EDT A month later, on May 29, The two equatorial belts the end of the year. Even in
The Moon passes Jupiter appears just 0.6° north often resolve into finer details. late December, the planet
4° north of Mars,
of ruddy Mars. The giant Look for streamers, white stands 45° high in the south-
10 p.m. EDT
planet makes a rare sojourn ovals, and barge-shaped dark west two hours after sunset
22 Equinox (northern
autumn/southern
into the non-zodiacal constel- spots. Because the planet and gleams at magnitude –2.4,
spring begins), lation Cetus the Whale from rotates in less than 10 hours, second only to Venus.
9 p.m. EDT late June to early September
23 Mercury is in before returning to Pisces the N
inferior conjunction, Fish for the rest of the year.
3 a.m. EDT The view through a tele-
22
26 Jupiter is at scope should be stunning most
opposition, of this year, but never more so 44
4 p.m. EDT
than from early September to Aug 1 Pat
ho
16 f Ju Jupiter reaches PISCES
mid-October. Jupiter shines at 31 pite opposition
E r September 26
magnitude –2.9 throughout Sept 15
this period and shows a disk 10
14 30
that spans more than 48". And 1°
it reaches an impressive maxi- Oct 15
CETUS 30 29
mum altitude of about 50° Nov
14
from mid-northern latitudes.
29 24
But the absolute peak 13 27
comes at opposition. On
Sept. 26, the giant planet mea- ASY-SG0122_26
The giant planet shines at magnitude –2.9 in September, crossing from
sures 49.9" across the equator Cetus the Whale into Pisces the Fish on the 1st.
10 Sky Guide 20222022
Spot elusive Oct
Mercury at dawn
S M T W T F S
1
3 4 5 6 7 8
10 11 12 13 14 15
N
16 18 19 20 21 22
23 24 26 27 28 29
o bright planet
is harder to see Regulus 30 31
than Mercury LEO
because the
inner planet 5 The Moon passes
4° south of Saturn,
orbits close to the Sun and
noon EDT
thus never strays far from its
Denebola 7 The Moon passes
bright light. Even at its best, 3° south of
Mercury rarely appears out- Neptune,
side of twilight for Northern Mercury 11 p.m. EDT
Hemisphere observers. 8 The Moon passes
The planet’s best morning 5° 2° south of Jupiter,
appearance of 2022 arrives in 2 p.m. EDT
October. You might glimpse October 8, 30 minutes before sunrise Mercury is at
Mercury on the 1st, when it Looking east greatest western
elongation (18°),
stands 4° above the eastern 5 p.m. EDT
The innermost planet climbs ASY-SG0122_27
well above the eastern horizon during
horizon 45 minutes before the morning twilight around its Oct. 8 peak. 12 The Moon passes
Sun rises. It then glows at 0.8° north of
magnitude 1.3 and should also shines noticeably brighter, This is one of seven Uranus, 3 a.m. EDT
show up through binoculars. at magnitude –0.5. If you have Mercury apparitions this year, 15 The Moon passes
The planet grows brighter and trouble finding it, zero in on though it is easily the best for 4° north of Mars,
climbs higher each day if you the 1st-magnitude star Regulus morning observers. It climbs 1 a.m. EDT
view at the same time relative 30° high in the east. Then drop only about half as high at the 21 Orionid meteor
to sunrise. (We’ll use 45 min- toward the horizon and a bit to Feb. 16 and June 16 greatest shower peaks
utes for consistency.) the left to find Mercury. The elongations. 22 Venus is in superior
Mercury should be easy planet appears 7.0" across and The evening sky offers four conjunction,
5 p.m. EDT
to see with the naked eye 52 percent illuminated Mercury appearances in 2022.
By far the best occurs April 29, 25 Partial solar eclipse,
by Oct. 5, when it glows at through a telescope.
7 a.m. EDT
magnitude 0.1 and appears 7° Mercury continues to when Mercury climbs 11° high
high. A telescope shows the brighten as it falls back toward 45 minutes after sunset. The
planet’s 7.9"-diameter disk and the Sun following greatest planet maxes out at altitudes
34-percent-lit phase. elongation. It reaches magni- of 7° and 6° at the Jan. 7 and
The inner world reaches its tude –1.0 on the 18th, when Dec. 21 greatest elongations,
peak at greatest elongation on it stands 5° high. A scope respectively. Alas, Mercury’s
the 8th, when it lies 18° west of reveals a 5.6"-diameter disk late August appearance sees it
the Sun and climbs 8° high. It that is 84 percent lit. climb just 1° high at its best.
A two-day-old waxing
crescent Moon helped
point the way to
Mercury in evening
twilight May 13, 2021.
ALAN DYER
www.Astronomy.com 112022
Nov Luna’s double dip
into Earth’s shadow
S M T
W T F S
2 3 4 5
6 7 9 10 11 12
13 14 15 17 18 19
S
20 21 22 24 25 26
27 28 29
lightly less than The eclipsed Moon hangs low
six months after in the west while the Pleiades
our satellite star cluster (M45) sparkles
plunged through above it and Orion the Hunter
1 The Moon passes 4° Earth’s shadow, stands higher in the southwest.
south of Saturn,
bringing a total lunar eclipse The total phase wraps up
5 p.m. EDT
to North America the night at 6:42 a.m. EST, just as the
4 The Moon passes 3°
south of Neptune,
of May 15/16, the Full Moon Moon sets along the East
4 a.m. EDT takes another journey into Coast. Midwesterners get to
The Moon passes
darkness. On the morning of see the final partial stages,
2° south of Jupiter, Nov. 8, Luna spends 85 minutes which conclude in gradually
4 p.m. EDT inside Earth’s dark umbra, brightening twilight at
8 Total lunar eclipse, matching May’s duration of 6:49 a.m. CST. Those in west-
6 a.m. EST totality. This time around, how- ern North America can watch
The Moon passes ever, viewers in western North until the bloody end, when the
0.7° north of America see the whole show Moon exits the penumbral
Uranus, 8 a.m. EST
with the Moon higher in the shadow at 5:56 a.m. PST.
Mercury is in sky while those in the east wit- Luna spends the eclipse
superior
conjunction,
ness only the early stages. within the borders of Aries the
noon EST The subtle penumbral A ruddy Moon hung above the Ram. Dedicated observers will
phase begins at 3:02 a.m. EST, Santa Rita Mountains of south- recognize this constellation as
9 Uranus is at central Arizona during the total
opposition, with the obvious partial stages lunar eclipse of Jan. 20/21, 2019. the current home of Uranus.
3 a.m. EST getting started at 4:09 a.m. EST. BURLEY PACKWOOD In fact, the magnitude 5.7
11 The Moon passes The shadow eats away at the planet sits 1.9° east of the
2° north of Mars, Full Moon from top to bottom. in a beautiful orange color — Moon’s western limb as totality
9 a.m. EST It takes more than an hour the light from all our planet’s begins, and the gap shrinks as
17 Leonid meteor for the umbral shadow to com- sunrises and sunsets — an Luna progresses through the
shower peaks
pletely swallow Luna. Totality effect that grows more pro- shadow. Binoculars will deliver
28 The Moon passes arrives at 5:17 a.m. EST. Earth’s nounced as mideclipse a wonderful view of the two
4° south of Saturn,
midnight EST
shadow then bathes the Moon approaches at 5:59 a.m. EST. objects along with several stars
in the same field. (Just don’t
confuse Uranus with a magni-
AURIGA
Mars Capella tude 6.3 star that lies closer to
Betelgeuse the lunar limb.)
ORION Seasoned skywatchers know
TAURUS
that eclipses usually come in
Aldebaran PERSEUS
pairs — one solar and one lunar
Rigel — separated by two weeks.
Pleiades
Oct. 25 brings a partial eclipse
Eclipsed Moon ANDROMEDA of the Sun to viewers in most
of Europe, western Asia, and
ARIES northeastern Africa. Greatest
10°
eclipse occurs in central Russia,
where the Moon obscures
82 percent of the Sun’s disk at
November 8, 5:00 A.M. CST
Looking west
sunset. From London, Luna
covers 15 percent of our star
ASY-SG0122_28 at 9h59m UT with the Sun 22°
The bright stars of late autumn and early winter arch above the eclipsed
Moon during totality the morning of Nov. 8. above the horizon.
12 Sky Guide 20222022
The Red Planet Dec
climbs high in the sky
S M T W
T F S
1 2 3
4 5 6 8 9 10
11 12 13 14 15 17
T
18 19 20 21 22 24
25 26 27 28 30 31
he closing months N
of 2022 bring great
views of Mars β
Mars reaches opposition
to Northern December 7/8
Hemisphere 1 The Moon passes 3°
21 Dec 1 11 21 31 south of Neptune,
observers. The Red Planet Nov 1
11
8 a.m. EST
reaches opposition the night Path of Mars
E M1 υ The Moon passes
of Dec. 7/8, when it lies high 3° south of Jupiter,
in the sky among the back- 8 p.m. EST
ζ TAURUS
ground stars of Taurus the 5 The Moon passes
ε
Bull. Experienced observers 0.7° north of
know that viewing Mars is δ Uranus, 1 p.m. EST
Aldebaran
not a one-night operation, θ γ 7 The Moon passes
however. The ruddy world 2° 0.5° north of Mars,
delivers great views starting 11 p.m. EST
when its apparent diameter The Red Planet traverses northern Taurus the Bull when it reaches a 8 Mars is at
ASY-SG0122_29
opposition,
reaches 10" in early September. spectacular peak in early December.
1 a.m. EST
Conveniently, it then rises a
14 Geminid meteor
little before midnight local Mars climbs 75° above the wedge-shaped feature near the shower peaks
daylight time. southern horizon when it equator. The bright, deep des-
21 Mercury is at
The planet passes 4° north peaks around midnight local ert basin known as Hellas greatest eastern
of Taurus’ brightest star, time. At magnitude –1.9, it lies immediately to its south. elongation (20°),
1st-magnitude Aldebaran, outshines all the other night- Major dust storms occasion- 10 a.m. EST
on Sept. 8. It then shines at time stars and planets except ally erupt from Hellas and Solstice (northern
magnitude –0.3, three times for Jupiter. And it spans an blot out other features. winter/southern
brighter than its southern impressive 17" when viewed If you’re observing Mars summer begins),
5 p.m. EST
neighbor. Mars’ eastern trek through a telescope. Although early the night of its opposi-
Mars passes 8°
carries it 1.2° north of the Crab this is 5" smaller than at its tion, you can’t fail to see the
north of Aldebaran,
Nebula (M1) on Oct. 17, when October 2020 opposition, the Full Moon nearby — very 11 p.m. EST
it glows at magnitude –0.9 and high altitude partly makes up nearby. Luna passes directly
24 The Moon passes
appears 14" across when for this shortcoming. in front of the Red Planet for 3° south of Venus,
viewed through a telescope. Seeing surface details viewers across much of the 6 a.m. EST
The planet’s eastward on Mars typically requires U.S. and Canada. Viewers will The Moon passes 4°
motion relative to the starry a 6-inch or larger telescope. want to be sure to mark their south of Mercury,
backdrop halts Oct. 30. As it The easiest structure to see calendars for this rare event. 2 p.m. EST
embarks on its retrograde is Syrtis Major, a dark, Following opposition, 26 The Moon passes
(westward) path, it once again Mars remains a magnificent 4° south of Saturn,
11 a.m. EST
passes the Crab, appearing sight through the end of
the year and into 2023. On 28 The Moon passes 3°
2.3° north of it Nov. 11.
south of Neptune,
Mars now shines at mag- Dec. 31, the magnitude –1.2 3 p.m. EST
nitude –1.5 and spans planet displays a
29 Mercury passes 1.4°
16" in the eyepiece. 15"-diameter disk north of Venus,
Less than a month through a telescope. 4 a.m. EST
later, on Dec. 7/8, The Moon passes
The Mars Global Surveyor
the Red Planet spacecraft captured
2° south of Jupiter,
reaches opposition 6 a.m. EST
bright clouds of water
and is visible all ice hanging above the
massive Tharsis volcanoes
night. From its perch in this mosaic taken in
in northern Taurus, April 1999. NASA/JPL/MSSS
www.Astronomy.com 132023
Venus climbs high in
a dark evening sky
in spring 2023,
passing near the
Pleiades star cluster
in April. ALAN DYER
Preview Looking ahead to next year . . .
THE SUN, THE MOON, AND EARTH lined up four times in
2022, bringing two total lunar eclipses and two partial solar eclipses. Next
year also delivers four eclipses, but the circumstances are nearly reversed.
On the lunar side, neither the May 5 penumbral eclipse nor the slight
partial eclipse Oct. 28 will be visible from North America.
But the solar eclipses home. The center line around its late August
make up for any disappoint- crosses Oregon, Nevada, opposition. But perhaps A hybrid solar eclipse occurs Aug. 20, 2023.
ment. On April 20, the Utah, Arizona, New Venus will steal the show. More than a minute of totality awaits
viewers on the center line in western
Moon passes directly in Mexico, and Texas before It makes a great evening Australia, New Guinea, and the islands
front of the Sun. Observers reaching Mexico, Central appearance in spring and in between. JOE LLAMA
at the ends of the central America, and northern puts on an equally stunning
path in the Southern Ocean South America. The solar predawn performance in
and southeast of the ring of fire will last more autumn.
Marshall Islands will see an than four minutes every- Happily, fortunes for
annular eclipse. But those in where on the center line 2023’s preeminent meteor
between will witness totality. in the U.S. showers are reversed
Maximum eclipse occurs Several planets put on from 2022. Although the
just south of the island of exceptional shows in 2023 Quadrantids in January will
Timor and provides as well. Mars and Jupiter be a dud because they peak
1 minute 16 seconds under remain brilliant early in the just two days before a Full
the corona’s light. The path year, and Jupiter returns for Moon, August’s Perseid
of totality also touches an encore at opposition in shower and December’s
Western Australia and some early November. Although Geminid shower peak
of Indonesia’s islands. not as bright as the other within three days of a New
Observers along a narrow path crossing the
The Oct. 14 annular planets, Saturn looks spec- Moon, providing dark skies western and southern U.S., Mexico, Central
eclipse hits even closer to tacular through a telescope for the year’s best meteors. America, and northern South America will
witness a ring of fire eclipse Oct. 14, 2023.
GUILLERMO ABRAMSON
14 Sky Guide 2022You can also read
