2022
Astronomical Calendar
This supplement to Moon Guy Next Door’s wall calendar dives deeper into the best astronomical events of the year and how to observe them.
Scroll down for all the juicy details, or order your calendar on The Moon Guy Shop
Table of contents
January 5, evening: Moon meets Jupiter Difficulty: Easy
On the evening of Wednesday January 5th, the lovely 3-day-old crescent moon is set to visit the bright planet Jupiter! Start looking towards the southwest about half an hour after sunset and you should see the crescent moon starting to appear brighter. Over the next half hour, Jupiter will start to become more visible above the moon and they will remain together until they set about 3 hours later.
This sight can be enjoyed simply with your naked eye, or you can use low-powered binoculars to get a closer and brighter view! This is also a perfect night to observe earthshine - the faint glow on the dark portion of the moon that is caused by sunlight reflected on the Earth. Earthshine can sometimes be spotted with the naked eye but is much more obvious in binoculars.
January 11-13, evening: Mercury meets Saturn Difficulty: Medium
On the evenings of January 11th to 13th, the elusive and fast-moving tiny planet, Mercury, will snuggle up nice and close to the giant, slow-moving gas planet, Saturn. These two planets of similar brightness - one being tiny and relatively close and the other being huge and really far away - will start to show themselves near the southwest horizon after sunset. It’s difficult to predict exactly when they’ll be visible, because of many factors, but you should start looking near the southwest horizon about 45 minutes after sunset.
The first “star” you will notice is the bright planet Jupiter. Mercury and Saturn will be much less bright and a lot lower in the sky, to the right of Jupiter for observers in the northern hemisphere.
Make sure you have a very low clear horizon in that direction because your chances of seeing them will keep getting better as the sky darkens, but they will also be setting fairly quickly. Your best window of opportunity will likely start around 1 hour after sunset and last about 15 minutes. These could possibly be viewed with your naked eye, but if you have low-powered binoculars, your chances will be much greater, not to mention the view!
February
February 2, evening: Moon meets Jupiter Difficulty: Easy
On the evening of Wednesday February 2nd, the delicately thin 2-day-old crescent moon will take one last evening pass by the bright planet Jupiter before Jupiter disappears behind the sun for a while! Start looking towards the southwest about 45 minutes after sunset and you should see the fine crescent moon starting to appear. Jupiter, to the right of the moon, will appear to brighten as she and the moon slowly set together about an hour later.
This sight can be enjoyed simply with your naked eye, or you can use low-powered binoculars to get a closer and brighter view! This is also a perfect night to observe earthshine - the faint glow on the dark portion of the moon that is caused by sunlight reflected on the Earth. Earthshine can sometimes be spotted with the naked eye but is much more obvious in binoculars.
February 15 and 16, all night: Full Snow Moon Difficulty: Easy
February’s full moon is at its fullest at around noon Eastern Time on February 16. This means that for most of North and South America, it will be about equally full on the evenings of February 15 and 16. It gives us two chances to see a full moon this month! For anyone on other continents, the moon will be at its fullest on the evening of February 16.
Named after the northern hemisphere’s cold season, the Full Snow Moon will rise towards the east a bit before sunset on February 15 and a bit after sunset on the 16th.
March
March 6, evening: Moon meets Uranus Difficulty: Challenging
On the evening of Sunday March 6th, the thick crescent moon will be passing by the faraway planet Uranus. The first planet to be officially discovered in modern times, Uranus is just at the very limit of naked eye visibility from the darkest skies. For this reason, it was probably seen by ancient peoples but not recognized as being a planet, like the five nearest and brightest planets, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. On a regular night, it’s quite difficult to find, but on March 6th, the moon can be used as a marker to find it with binoculars.
Find a place as far from light pollution as you can and wait for complete darkness, usually about an hour and a half after sunset. Any pair of low-powered binoculars (maximum 8x) will be sufficient. Point them at the moon, and above it, in the same field of view, you should see Uranus! It might show a slight greenish colouring. There will be a few stars of similar brightness in the vicinity, so you can use the above chart to make sure you’re looking at the distant gas planet. Keep in mind that the chart is for 8pm Pacific Time, so if you’re viewing it at a different time or from a different location, the moon will not be in the exact same place. The chart represents the approximate field of view of 8x binoculars.
March 17, all night: Full Sap Moon Difficulty: Easy
March’s full moon is at its fullest at around 3am Eastern Time on March 18. This means that the fullest full moon will be during the night of March 17 to 18.
Named after the sap that runs down maple trees in North America, giving us the sweet ingredient to make maple syrup, the Full Sap Moon will rise towards the east right around the time of sunset on March 17. This is officially the last full moon of winter and springtime is upon us!
This full moon is often called the Worm Moon because of the trails that are left by worms in the thawing ground, but I personally prefer Sap Moon, being a huge maple syrup aficionado!
March 28, morning: Moon meets Venus, Saturn, and Mars Difficulty: Medium
This will be like a party in the sky! On the morning of Monday March 28th, the moon will meet with three planets just before dawn.
Look between the east and southeast - making sure you found a spot where that horizon is as clear as possible - about an hour before sunrise. The first to show up to the party will be Venus, thanks to its unequalled brightness and its higher position. Then, Mars and Saturn will rise - Saturn below Venus, and Mars over to the right. Finally, about half an hour later, the waning crescent moon will come up above the horizon, below Venus and Saturn. This celestial gathering is best observed with your naked eye. No optical instruments needed!
These will be competing with the dawn light, so the visibility will depend on atmospheric conditions and your exact location. Celestial objects become easier to see as they get higher in the sky, thanks to less moisture blocking the light, but the sky will also be getting brighter as the morning progresses. Best of luck!
April
April 3, evening: Moon meets Uranus Difficulty: Challenging
On the evening of Sunday April 3rd, the thin crescent moon will be passing by the faraway planet Uranus. The first planet to be officially discovered in modern times, Uranus is just at the very limit of naked eye visibility from the darkest skies. For this reason, it was probably seen by ancient peoples but not recognized as being a planet, like the five nearest and brightest planets, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. On a regular night, it’s quite difficult to find, but on April 3rd, the moon can be used as a marker to find it with binoculars.
Find a place as far from light pollution as you can and start observing the moon about an hour after sunset. Even if the sky isn’t completely dark yet, if you wait too long, the atmosphere near the horizon starts to block too much of the light coming from the faint planet. Any pair of low-powered binoculars (maximum 8x) will be sufficient. Point them at the moon, and below it, in the same field of view, you should see Uranus! It might show a slight greenish colouring. There will be a few stars of similar brightness in the vicinity, so you can use the accompanying chart to make sure you’re looking at the distant gas planet. The chart shows the approximate view through 8x binoculars.
This will also be a good night to observe Earthshine - the faint glow on the part of the moon that’s not receiving direct sunlight. It’s created by sunlight that was reflected on the Earth, and is easiest to see about 2 to 3 days before or after the new moon.
April 4-5, morning: Mars meets Saturn Difficulty: Medium
On the mornings of April 4th and 5th, Mars and Saturn will come together in a rare very close encounter! Both planets will be at a very similar brightness, with Mars displaying a distinct reddish colour. At their closest, they will be about half a degree apart, equivalent to the width of the full moon from our perspective.
If you can escape city light, the view will be much better, but they will be bright enough to see from most places. Simply find a spot with a low eastern horizon and wait for the two planets to rise about an hour and a half before sunrise. The brightest “star” in the east before sunrise will be the planet Venus - often referred to as the Morning Star or Evening Star for that reason. Saturn and Mars will be the next brightest “stars”, about 6 degrees to the right of Venus. They will become brighter as they keep rising, but the dawn light will also be increasing, making them harder to see later in the morning. While the nearest approach happens on April 4th and 5th, if the weather doesn’t work for you on those mornings, the planets will be fairly close together for a couple of days on either side as well.
They will both be as bright as what we usually consider bright stars, so they will be visible to the naked eye, but the encounter will be so close that it’s a great idea to try watching it with binoculars or even a telescope.
April 16, all night: Full Pink Moon Difficulty: Easy
April’s full moon is at its fullest at around 3pm Eastern Time on April 16. This means that the fullest full moon will be during the night of April 16 to 17. The night before will also give a nearly full moon.
Named after a flower that blooms at this time of year, the moss pink, the Full Pink Moon will not necessarily be pink. If you get lucky, the atmosphere may give it a pink hue as it rises, but that’s also the case for any other full moon! It will rise towards the east a little before the time of sunset on April 15 and a little after sunset on April 16. This is officially the first full moon of spring!
April 27, morning: Moon meets Jupiter and Venus Difficulty: Easy
There’s a triple celestial meet-up that happens on the morning of Wednesday April 27th and you won’t want to miss it! The thin waning crescent moon will make a triangle with the bright planets Venus and Jupiter.
Find a location with a clear view of the eastern horizon and enjoy the pre-dawn serenity with the night sky above. About an hour before sunrise, Venus (on the right) and Jupiter (on the left) will rise like jewels, as the sun’s glow barely starts to creep in. You’ll have to wait about another half hour before the beautiful crescent moon rises below the planets. By that time, it’ll be civil twilight, but the planets are bright enough to be visible for another few minutes. This is best enjoyed with your naked eye.
April 29, evening: Mercury meets Pleiades Difficulty: Medium
On the evening of Friday April 29th, the sparkly Pleiades star cluster will receive a visit from the fast moving and elusive planet Mercury. The Pleiades are one of the best star clusters in the sky and Mercury will come so close that it could almost be mistaken for one of them, except that Mercury will be a fair bit brighter than any of the stars in the cluster. Mercury is so close to the sun and moves so fast that it can be hard to observe, often being lost in the glare of the sun, but this will be a great opportunity to spot it.
Start looking above the horizon, between west and northwest, about 45 minutes after sunset. In the following minutes, Mercury should be the first “star” you see in that direction. Over the next half hour, the Pleiades will start to appear just to the right of Mercury, like a little jewel box in the sky. If the weather is poor on April 29th, the 28th or 30th also offer a good view of this encounter. It can be viewed with the naked eye, but binoculars would make it even more dazzling.
April 30, morning: Venus meets Jupiter Difficulty: Medium
In the early morning of Saturday April 30th, get ready for a very close encounter between the two brightest planets in our sky, Venus and Jupiter. They will be competing with the dawn twilight, but their significant brightness will allow them to be seen.
Find yourself a spot with a very low eastern horizon with no obstructions. Venus and Jupiter will rise together about an hour before sunrise, when nautical twilight has started to set in. Nautical twilight is the time when there is enough light in the sky to see the horizon while being dark enough to see the brighter stars. They will become brighter as they rise above the haze, but will also soon start to fade as the daylight comes up. Timing will be key.
Venus and Jupiter will be the brightest objects in the sky at that time, so this event can be seen with the naked eye, but the encounter will be so close that it’s a great idea to try watching it with binoculars or even a telescope.
April 30: Partial solar eclipse
Observers in southern South America and a sliver of Antarctica will get a chance to witness a partial solar eclipse on Saturday April 30th. The sun, the moon, and the Earth will get in almost perfect alignment, allowing the moon to cover part of the sun as seen from those locations.
WARNING: You must NEVER look directly at the sun, even during a partial solar eclipse. Only look at it using certified solar-viewing glasses, a telescope with a certified solar filter, or with indirect methods like projection.
Thanks to technology, people elsewhere on Earth will be able to follow the event via a number of livestreams or live blogs. If you’d like to find out about the livestreams, feel free to sign up for the Moonletter, a monthly newsletter with more observing tips, photos, and astro-stories. I will share a link to an eclipse live blog in the April Moonletter.
May
May 2, evening: Moon meets Mercury, Pleiades, and Hyades Difficulty: Medium
On the evening of Monday May 2nd, the thin crescent moon will make an appearance with Mercury right between two of the best star clusters in the sky: the Pleiades and the Hyades. The Hyades mark the head of the bull in the constellation of Taurus, with its brightest red star, Aldebaran, representing its eye. The Pleiades are often thought of as the heart of Taurus, and Mercury is still fairly close to them, just two days after the closest approach.
Find a low west to northwest horizon. Shortly after sunset, the delicate crescent moon will become visible, and if you wait another 45 minutes to an hour, Mercury and the two star clusters will slowly fade into view as darkness falls. They will set about half an hour later. The whole scene can be observed with your naked eye and you can use binoculars to scan the different elements and get the full breathtaking effect of the clusters.
May 15, evening: Total lunar eclipse Difficulty: Easy
The first of two total lunar eclipses in 2022, this is definitely one of the astronomical highlights of the year! On the night of Sunday May 15 to Monday May 16, the moon will cross the Earth’s shadow and turn a deep red colour. Parts of this eclipse will be visible from most of North and South America, as well as Europe and Africa.
South America and eastern North America will be able to see the entire eclipse, and the moon will be high in the sky for the phase of totality. Observers in western North America will see the moon rising in mid-eclipse on the evening of May 15, while observers in Europe and Africa will see the moon setting in mid-eclipse in the early morning of May 16.
Phases of the total lunar eclipse, provided in Eastern Daylight Time for the night of May 15 to 16:
9:30pm EDT - Penumbral eclipse begins
10:27pm EDT - Partial eclipse begins
11:28pm EDT - Total eclipse begins
12:53am EDT - Total eclipse ends
1:54am EDT - Partial eclipse ends
2:51am EDT - Penumbral eclipse ends
The penumbral phases are barely noticeable. During the partial phases, you will see part of the moon in the Earth’s shadow. The total phase is when the moon is completely in the Earth’s shadow and usually turns a deep red colour. To find out what phases are visible from your location, convert these Eastern Daylight Times to your time zone and check your local moonrise time for May 15 and moonset time for May 16. Any phase that happens between your local moonrise and moonset times will be visible from your location. Lunar eclipses can be viewed with your naked eye, binoculars, or a telescope.
In case of inclement weather, be sure to sign-up for the Moonletter to be notified of lunar eclipse livestreams. Sign-up here!
May 17, morning: Mars meets Neptune Difficulty: Challenging
The furthest planet in our solar system, Neptune, remains unseen by most people, thanks to it’s enormous distance of roughly 4.5 billion kilometres. With a little bit of optical aid, though, you could more easily spot it in the early morning of May 17 and 18, thanks to a much nearer celestial friend, Mars.
Make sure you have a very clear and low eastern horizon. Two hours before sunrise, start looking near the eastern horizon for the rise of Mars. It should appear shortly thereafter, looking like a fairly bright reddish star. The following 45 minutes will be your best chance of spotting Neptune before dawn light obscures it. Simply point your telescope at Mars, and Neptune will be right beside it. It can be easy to confuse with the number of similar brightness stars nearby, so I recommend using the diagrams above and below to make sure you’re actually looking at Neptune. Also, be careful not to mistake Jupiter or Venus for Mars. Both will look a lot brighter than Mars and be to the left of it. Venus will rise later than the other two, so if you see three bright “stars”, they will be as shown below, but If you only see two, it is likely Jupiter and Mars before Venus has risen.
May 22, morning: Moon meets Saturn Difficulty: Easy
In the early morning of Sunday May 22, the perfect half moon (third quarter) will pay a visit to the ringed planet, Saturn. Look to the east for Saturn to rise about 3 hours before the sun, looking like a bright star. The half moon will then rise below Saturn about half an hour later. The best time to look at the will be about an hour and a half before sunrise, towards the southeast. At that point, they will have risen well above the horizon and the sky will still be dark enough to see the celestial jewels shine at their best. This is best viewed with your naked eye.
May 24-25, morning: Moon meets Jupiter and Mars Difficulty: Easy
Just a couple of days after the moon’s meeting with Saturn, she will pay a visit to two other planets: Jupiter and Mars. In the early morning of May 24 and 25, look to the east about an hour and a half before sunrise to see the three night sky wonders hover silently together. On the 24th, the moon will be to the right of the planets. By the 25th, she will have moved to the left of the planets. This is best viewed with your naked eye.
May 28-30, morning: Jupiter meets Mars Difficulty: Easy
For three days at the end of the month, the rocky planet Mars and the gas giant Jupiter will gather unusually close in the morning sky for a beautiful celestial dance.
They will rise together towards the east about two and a half hours before the sun. The next hour will provide your best chance to see them at their brightest, balancing their height above the horizon - for better visibility - and the darkness of the sky.
Jupiter will appear as the much brighter of the two, while Mars could display a slight reddish tint. They can be seen as beautiful jewels in the sky with your naked eye. Binoculars will make them appear even brighter and will show hints of the moons of Jupiter. A telescope will reveal the round shape of the planets, easily show the moons of Jupiter, and can even reveal some detail on the surfaces of the planets, depending on the telescope.
For naked eye observing, the two planets will be fairly close to each other for a few days on either side of those dates. For telescope observation, your best bet is on May 29th, when they will be at their absolute closest.
June
June 21, morning: Moon meets Jupiter Difficulty: Easy
In the early morning of Tuesday June 21st, on the summer solstice, the third quarter moon (half moon) will spend some time near the bright Jupiter. They will rise together in the east at about 2am and they will climb up in the sky until the early dawn starts to creep in.
This sight can be enjoyed simply with your naked eye, or you can use low-powered binoculars to get a closer and brighter view! If you see a slightly reddish “star” a little ways to the left of Jupiter and the moon, it’s actually the planet Mars.
June 26, morning: Moon meets Venus Difficulty: Medium
In the early morning of Sunday June 26th, the delicate waning crescent moon will pass by the super-bright planet Venus. The moon and Venus would usually be very easy to find, but they will be battling with the early morning twilight and will be close to the horizon, making it slightly more challenging.
Find yourself a spot with a low and clear east to northeast horizon. The crescent moon accompanied by Venus, looking like a very bright star, will rise in that direction about an hour and a half before local sunrise. The celestial jewels will be at their best for the first half hour or so after rising. After that, they will begin to fade significantly as the morning sunlight invades the sky.
This sight can be enjoyed simply with your naked eye, or you can use low-powered binoculars to get a closer and brighter view! A fun bonus that you can catch before they rise, while the sky is still quite dark, is the Pleiades star cluster. Venus and the moon will be rising directly below the Pleiades. If you’ve brought your binoculars, check out the star cluster with them!
July
Night of July 18-19: Moon meets Jupiter Difficulty: Easy
On the night of Monday July 18th to the 19th, the moon will cross the sky alongside the planet Jupiter. They will rise together in the east at about midnight and climb up in the sky until dawn starts to creep in.
This sight is best enjoyed simply with your naked eye. If you see a slightly reddish “star” a ways to the left of Jupiter and the moon, it’s actually the planet Mars, which the moon will visit two days later.
July 21, morning: Moon meets Mars Difficulty: Easy
In the early morning of Thursday July 21st, the moon will have a close encounter with the red planet, Mars. They will rise together in the east at about 1:00am and climb up in the sky until dawn starts to creep in.
Your naked eye is all you need to view these, but a pair of binoculars will give Mars even more of its distinctive red colouring and make for an impressive show with the moon so close.
July 22, morning: Moon meets Uranus Difficulty: Challenging
In the early morning of Friday July 22nd, the thick crescent moon will be passing by the faraway planet Uranus. The first planet to be officially discovered in modern times, Uranus is just at the very limit of naked eye visibility from the darkest skies. For this reason, it was probably seen by ancient peoples but not recognized as being a planet, like the five nearest and brightest planets, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. On a regular night, it’s quite difficult to find, but on July 22nd, the moon can be used as a marker to find it with binoculars.
Find a place as far from light pollution as you can. They will rise together between the east and northeast at about 1:00am, but it’s best to wait at least an hour for them to rise above the haze and become much clearer. Any pair of low-powered binoculars (maximum 8x) will be sufficient. Point them at the moon, and above and to the right of it, in the same field of view, you should see Uranus! It might show a slight greenish colouring. There will be a few stars of similar brightness in the vicinity, so you can use the accompanying chart to make sure you’re looking at the distant gas planet.
July 26, morning: Moon meets Venus Difficulty: Medium
In the early morning of Tuesday July 26th, the delicate waning crescent moon will pass by the super-bright planet Venus.
Find yourself a spot with a low and clear northeast horizon. The crescent moon will rise first, about two hours before local sunrise, followed by Venus, looking like a very bright star, shortly after. The celestial jewels will be at their best for the first hour or so after rising. After that, they will begin to fade significantly as the morning sunlight invades the sky.
This sight can be enjoyed simply with your naked eye, or you can use low-powered binoculars to get a closer and brighter view!
August
August 1, morning: Mars meets Uranus Difficulty: Challenging
In the early morning of Monday and Tuesday August 1st and 2nd, Mars, the red planet, will be passing by the faraway planet Uranus. Being at the limit of naked eye visibility under very dark skies, Uranus can be difficult to find among a sea of stars. On August 1st and 2nd, though, the much brighter planet Mars can be used as a marker to find it with binoculars or a telescope.
Find a place as far from light pollution as you can. They will rise together between the east and northeast a little before 1:00am, but it’s best to wait at least an hour for them to rise above the haze and become much clearer. Any pair of binoculars or a small telescope will be sufficient. Between 2am and 3am - when it will be the best balance of darkness and targets being high up in the sky - the brightest object in the sky will be Jupiter, towards the southeast. Look left, roughly towards the east, for the next brightest point, the reddish Mars. Point your binoculars or telescope at it, and above and to the left of it, in the same field of view, you should see Uranus! It might show a slight greenish colouring. There will be a few stars of similar brightness in the vicinity, so you can use the accompanying chart to make sure you’re looking at the distant ice planet. The chart above shows the view through 8x binoculars.
August 1-20: Perseid meteor shower peaks Aug 13 Difficulty: Easy
Arguably the best meteor shower of the year, the Perseids certainly put on a show of shooting stars annually. On its orbit around the sun, the Earth slams into debris left by comet Swift-Tuttle once a year and those little bits of comet are what we observe as shooting stars!
The meteor shower technically starts around July 17th, but I’ve always found that the beginning of August is when it starts to become obvious. They gradually increase in intensity until the peak around the night of August 13, after which point they decrease more quickly. If you really want a good show, it’s best to go as close to August 13th, but a day or two before or after should still give a great view.
Go as far away from city lights as you can and find a spot where you can lie down with lots of blankets and pillows, with a wide open view of the sky. Look up and wait. You can try to see them in the evening, but they tend to get better between midnight and dawn. They can be seen in any part of the sky, but will all appear to emanate from the constellation of Perseus.
Unfortunately, this year, the moon will be full on August 11th, making it difficult to see the fainter meteors. The bright light of the full moon washes out all but the brightest meteors. For this reason, my suggestion is to try going out on the evening of August 7th or 8th and staying up past 2am. By then, the moon will have set and they sky will be dark enough for the smaller shooting stars to show up.
Night of August 14-15: Moon meets Jupiter Difficulty: Easy
On the night of Sunday August 14th to the 15th, the moon will cross the sky alongside the planet Jupiter. They will rise together in the east a little after 10pm and climb up in the sky until dawn starts to creep in.
This sight can be enjoyed simply with your naked eye or you can take it in with binoculars for and even more sparkly view. Binoculars are great because they’re easy to use and can also reveal the moons of Jupiter as well as craters on our own moon!
August 18, morning: Moon meets Uranus Difficulty: Challenging
In the early morning of Thursday August 18th, the waning half moon will be passing by the faraway planet Uranus. Being at the limit of naked eye visibility under very dark skies, Uranus can be difficult to find among a sea of stars. On August 18th, though, the moon can be used as a marker to find it with binoculars or a telescope.
Find a place as far from light pollution as you can. They will rise together between the east and northeast at around 11pm on August 17th, but it’s best to wait at least an hour for them to rise above the haze and become much clearer. Any pair of low-powered binoculars (maximum 8x) will be sufficient. Point them at the moon, and to the left of it, in the same field of view, you should see Uranus! It might show a slight greenish colouring. There will be a few stars of similar brightness in the vicinity, so you can use the accompanying chart to make sure you’re looking at the distant ice planet. The diagram above show what you might see through 8x binoculars around 3am Pacific Time on August 18. The moon moves fairly quickly in relation to Uranus and the stars, so their placement will be different at different times of night. The moon will be further from Uranus earlier, and closer to it later.
The two celestial objects will keep getting closer together and higher in the sky as the night wears on, so if you can stay up, the best view will be about 2 hours before sunrise on August 18, before dawn starts to creep in.
September
Night of September 10-11: Full Moon meets Jupiter Difficulty: Easy
After so many meetings of Jupiter and various phases of the moon this year, the moon is finally full as it crosses the sky alongside the second brightest planet on the night of Saturday September 10th to the 11th. The moon and Jupiter will rise together in the east right around the time of sunset and cross the sky towards the west until they set at dawn.
This sight is best enjoyed simply with your naked eye.
October
October 8, morning: Mercury's best morning visibility Difficulty: Medium
Mercury, the smallest and nearest planet to the sun, can be hard to find. The reasons lie in those two qualifier: it’s small and it’s close to the sun. Its small size, not to mention its distance, make it much less bright than Venus. Meanwhile, its proximity to the sun means it keeps oscillating quickly between the morning and the evening sky, but always in the glare of the sun.
In the early morning of Saturday October 8th, Mercury will give you the best chance to see it. You’ll need a low eastern horizon and clear skies. The tiny planet will rise in the east a little less than two hours before the sun. It will rise above the haze as the dawn light starts to show up, so it will be a bit of a game to see it at its best. The next 45 minutes should be your best bet. Given that it’s mother nature and there are so many variables, it’s impossible to predict exactly.
If the weather is not good on October 8th, you could try a day or two before or after. Just keep in mind that Mercury moves fast so it won’t stay at its optimal location for long!
October 8, evening: Full Moon meets Jupiter Difficulty: Easy
For the second time in a row (the first being in September), the moon is full as it crosses the sky alongside the second brightest planet in the sky. On the night of Saturday October 8th, the moon and Jupiter will rise together in the east right around the time of sunset and cross the sky towards the west until they set at dawn.
This sight is best enjoyed simply with your naked eye.
Night of October 11-12: Moon occults Uranus Difficulty: Challenging
First things first, what does “occult” mean? In astronomy, it’s when a celestial object passes directly in front of a more distant one, hiding it from view for a little while. It’s a relatively rare thing, and it can only be observed from specific parts of the world.
On the night of Tuesday October 11th to the 12th, the moon will occult the distant planet Uranus. This is a chance to see the faraway blue-green gas planet disappear behind the moon for some time. It will be visible from the west coast and part of central North America, as well as the Canadian arctic.
Depending on your location, the timing and duration of this occultation will vary. I recommend getting a free night sky smartphone application to get accurate timing for your location. My favourite one is SkySafari, which has an amazing free version. You can navigate to the evening of October 11th and find the moon. Then, move forward or backward in time by hours and minutes until you see when Uranus appears to go behind the moon. If it never appears to get hidden behind the moon, it means the occultation will not be visible from your location.
Uranus is too dim and small to see with the naked eye, especially with the bright moon right next to it, so you will need binoculars, or ideally a telescope, to observe this. The diagram above shows about 2 hours of Uranus’s apparent movement behind the moon.
Don’t hesitate to contact Moon Guy if you have any questions!
October 25: Partial solar eclipse
Observers in most of Europe, parts of eastern Africa, and parts of western Asia will get a chance to witness a partial solar eclipse on Tuesday October 25th. The sun, the moon, and the Earth will get in almost perfect alignment, allowing the moon to cover part of the sun as seen from those locations.
WARNING: You must NEVER look directly at the sun, even during a partial solar eclipse. Only look at it using certified solar-viewing glasses, a telescope with a certified solar filter, or with indirect methods like projection.
Thanks to technology, people elsewhere on Earth will be able to follow the event via a number of livestreams. If you’d like to find out about the livestreams, feel free to sign up for the Moonletter, a monthly newsletter with more observing tips, photos, and astro-stories. I will share a link to an eclipse livestream in the October Moonletter.
November
November 4, evening: Moon meets Jupiter Difficulty: Easy
On the evening of Friday November 4th, the moon will cross the sky alongside the planet Jupiter. By the time the sun has set, they will start to become visible in the east. They will then climb higher and cross the sky until they set together in the west before sunrise.
This sight can be enjoyed simply with your naked eye or you can use binoculars to reveal Jupiter’s moons and craters on our own moon.
November 8, morning: Total lunar eclipse Difficulty: Easy
The second of two total lunar eclipses in 2022, this is definitely one of the astronomical highlights of the year! On the night of Monday November 7 to Tuesday the 8th, the moon will cross the Earth’s shadow and turn a deep red colour. Parts of this eclipse will be visible from most of North and South America, Oceania, Asia, parts of eastern Europe, and the entire Pacific Ocean.
Western North America, most of the Pacific ocean, Japan, eastern Russia, and the Arctic will be able to see the entire eclipse, and the moon will be high in the sky for the phase of totality. Observers in Oceania, Asia, and eastern Europe will see the moon rising in mid-eclipse on the evening of November 8th, while observers in eastern North America and all of South America will see the moon setting in mid-eclipse in the early morning of November 8th.
Phases of the total lunar eclipse, provided in Eastern Standard Time for the night of November 7 to 8:
3:01am EST - Penumbral eclipse begins
4:09am EST - Partial eclipse begins
5:16am EST - Total eclipse begins
6:41am EST - Total eclipse ends
7:48am EST - Partial eclipse ends
8:56am EST - Penumbral eclipse ends
The penumbral phases are barely noticeable. During the partial phases, you will see part of the moon in the Earth’s shadow. The total phase is when the moon is completely in the Earth’s shadow and usually turns a deep red colour. To find out what phases are visible from your location, convert these Eastern Daylight Times to your time zone and check your local moonrise time for November 7 and moonset time for November 8. Any phase that happens between your local moonrise and moonset times will be visible from your location. Lunar eclipses can be viewed with your naked eye, binoculars, or a telescope.
As a bonus to this lunar eclipse, the moon will pass right beside Uranus - occulting it from some locations - shortly after the eclipse. It will be very difficult to observe though, because the uneclipsed full moon is extremely bright compared to the faraway planet Uranus. The two celestial objects will also be quite close to each other during the total phase of the eclipse, which will be your best bet for spotting them together. From some parts of Asia, the occultation of Uranus will happen during the total phase of the eclipse. This means that Uranus, the moon, the Earth, and the sun will be in exact alignment for a moment! You’ll need binoculars or a small telescope for this.
In case of inclement weather, be sure to sign-up for the Moonletter to be notified of lunar eclipse livestreams. Sign-up here!
Night of November 10-11: Moon meets Mars Difficulty: Easy
On the night of Thursday November 10th to the 11th, the moon will visit with mars throughout the night. They will rise together in the northeast between 6 and 7pm and climb high and cross the sky until dawn starts to creep in.
Your naked eye is all you need to view these, but a pair of binoculars will give Mars even more of its distinctive red colouring and make for an impressive show with the moon so close. The two will get closer and closer together as the night progresses, the the later you can stay up, the better.
December
December 1, evening: Moon meets Jupiter Difficulty: Easy
On the evening of Thursday December 1st, the moon will cross the sky alongside the planet Jupiter. They should be clearly visible together, towards the southeast about a half hour after sunset. They will then cross the sky towards the west until they set after midnight.
This sight can be enjoyed simply with your naked eye, or you can use binoculars to reveal the moons of Jupiter and lots of details in our own moon.
December 7, evening: Full Moon occults Mars Difficulty: Easy
First things first, what does “occult” mean? In astronomy, it’s when a celestial object passes directly in front of a more distant one, hiding it from view for a little while. It’s a relatively rare thing, and it can only be observed from specific parts of the world.
On the evening of Wednesday December 7th, the year’s last full moon will occult Mars, the red planet. This is a chance to see the nearby rocky red planet disappear behind the moon for some time. It will be visible from most of North America, parts of Europe, and a small area in north Africa.
Depending on your location, the timing and duration of this occultation will vary. I recommend getting a free night sky smartphone application to get accurate timing for your location. My favourite one is SkySafari, which has an amazing free version. You can navigate to the evening of December 7th and find the moon. Then, move forward or backward in time by hours and minutes until you see when Mars appears to go behind the moon. If it never appears to get hidden behind the moon, it means the occultation will not be visible from your location.
This occultation can be viewed with your naked eye, thanks to the brightness of Mars. If you have binoculars or a telescope, use them to get a close-up view of the event.
Don’t hesitate to contact Moon Guy if you have any questions!
December 7-17: Geminid meteor shower peaks Dec 14 Difficulty: Easy
Possibly the most active meteor shower of the year, the Geminids are sure to light up the sky every year. The main reason the Perseids are more popular is because they tend to be easier to see, thanks to the warmer weather in August. Unlike most meteor showers sources, which are icy comets, the body responsible for the Geminid meteor shower is a rocky comet called 3200 Phaethon. On its orbit around the sun, the Earth slams into debris left by 3200 Phaethon once a year and those little bits of comet are what we observe as shooting stars!
The meteor shower technically starts around December 7th and lasts until the 17th, but this shower is best observed as close to the peak as possible, on the night of December 13 to 14. They can be seen early in the evening all the way until dawn, but the best time to watch them is around 2am, when the constellation of Gemini is straight overhead.
Go as far away from city lights as you can and find a spot where you can lie down with lots of blankets and pillows, with a wide open view of the sky. Look up and wait. They can be seen in any part of the sky, but will all appear to emanate from the constellation of Gemini. This can be a cold time of year and when you’re not moving much, it feels even colder, so I recommend wearing lots of extra warm clothes and packing your favourite hot drink.
Unfortunately, this year, the moon will be close to third quarter during the peak, making it difficult to see the fainter meteors. The bright light of the moon washes out all but the brightest meteors. Many of the Geminid meteor can be quite bright, though, so it can still be worth going out to observe them. While you’re out, have a look at the beautiful moon!
December 28, evening: Venus meets Mercury Difficulty: Medium
On the evening of Wednesday December 28th, the bright planet Venus will meet with the much more subtle planet Mercury.
Make sure to find a spot with the lowest possible southwest horizon and set up at sunset. The window of time to see these two planets together will be very short, from about half an hour after sunset until the planets themselves set half an hour later. You will first notice Venus, as its brightness shines through the dusk light. Mercury should become visible in the next little while, but might be hard to see with your naked eye, depending on the atmospheric conditions.
I recommend viewing this with binoculars. Once you find Venus, look at it through binoculars and as the light of the sun fades, Mercury will start to appear in the same field of view.
The two planets will be fairly close to each other on December 27th and 29th, in case you miss it on the 28th.
The photo above shows Venus (the brighter one) and Mercury (in the clouds) during their 2021 meeting. This time, Venus will be below Mercury.
December 28, evening: Moon meets Jupiter Difficulty: Easy
On the evening of Wednesday December 28th, the perfect half moon will cross the sky alongside the planet Jupiter. They should be clearly visible together, towards the south about a half hour after sunset. They will then cross the sky towards the west until they set before midnight.
This sight can be enjoyed simply with your naked eye, or you can use binoculars to reveal the moons of Jupiter and many beautiful craters in our own moon.