2022 is expected to be a big year for celestial events with a number lunar and solar eclipses, meteor showers, and full moons.
It's time to get your binoculars and telescopes all set up if you plan to look at some of the amazing sky events in 2022.
There will be 12 full moons this year, including two supermoons. A supermoon is a full moon that is brighter and closer to Earth and happens when the moon is within 90% of perigee, the closest it approaches Earth during its orbit. Both June and July's full moons are expected to be supermoons.
The full list of full moons for 2022, according to the Farmers' Almanac are as follows: Jan. 17, Feb. 16, March 18, April 16, May 16, June 14, July 13, Aug. 11, Sept. 10, Oct. 9, Nov. 8 and Dec. 7.
According to The Old Farmers' Almanac, there will be two total lunar eclipses and two partial solar eclipses in 2022. The first total lunar eclipse will be on May 15 and May 16, between 9:31 p.m. ET and 2:52 a.m. ET for those in Europe, Africa, South America and North America.
The second total lunar eclipse will take place on Nov. 8 between 3:01 a.m. ET and 8:58 a.m. ET, and will be seen by those in Asia, Australia, the Pacific, South America and North America. However, the moon will be setting for those in eastern regions of North America.
Unfortunately, none of the partial solar eclipses taking place in 2022 will be visible from North America. The first will occur on April 30 and be visible for those in southern South America, the southeastern Pacific Ocean and the Antarctic peninsula. The other on Oct. 25 will be visible to people in Greenland, Iceland, Europe, northeastern Africa, the Middle East, western Asia, India and western China.
There will also be 12 meteor showers in 2022, with the Quadrantid meteor shower already peaking during the first week of January. However, people will have to wait a few months until April for the next one. The key to viewing a meteor shower is finding an open area without light pollution and give yourself a half hour to adjust your eyes to the darkness.
Here are the 11 other meteor showers taking place this year: Lyrids on April 21-22, Eta Aquariids on May 4-5, Southern delta Aquariids on July 29-30, Alpha Capricornids on July 30-31, Perseids on Aug. 11-12, Orionids on Oct. 20-21, Southern Taurids on Nov. 4-5, Northern Taurids on Nov. 11-12, Leonids on Nov. 17-18, Geminids on Dec. 13-14 and Ursids on Dec. 21-22.
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