While the Moon’s glow may have dimmed the Lyrids meteor shower in April, stargazers will have another opportunity to spot meteors with the upcoming Eta Aquarids meteor shower, peaking on May 5, according to American Meteor Society forecasts.
Peak forecasts vary, however, and rain should still be visible in the hours leading up to dawn on May 4, 5, and 6, 2022. according to EarthSky.
The Eta Aquarids, named after the constellation Aquarius, derive from the wreckage of Comet Halley, the well-known comet that is visible from Earth every 76 years, according to NASA. The last time the comet was seen in our sky was in 1986, and it won’t appear again until 2061.
While Eta Aquarids are visible from both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, they are best seen in the Southern Hemisphere, where meteors will be higher in the night sky, according to NASA.
In the north, meteors will appear lower in the sky as “terragrazers”, meaning they will pass by the Earth’s horizon, according to NASA.
Eta Aquarids are known for the speed with which they travel, which can reach a rate of 238,000 kilometers per hour, according to NASA. Meteors will produce glowing “trains” that remain in the sky for several seconds after the meteor has crossed the sky.
The meteor shower will be active until May 27.
More meteor showers
Delta Aquarids are most visible from the southern tropics and will peak between July 28-29, when the Moon is 74% full.
Interestingly, another meteor shower peaks on the same night — the Alpha Capricorns. While this is a much weaker shower, it has been known to produce some glowing fireballs during its peak. It will be visible to everyone, regardless of which side of the equator they are on.
The Perseid meteor shower, the most popular of the year, will peak between August 11-12 in the Northern Hemisphere, when the Moon is only 13% full.
Here is the meteor shower schedule for the rest of the year, according to the EarthSky meteor shower forecast.
- October 8: Draconids
- October 21: Orionids
- November 4th to 5th: Tauridas of the South
- November 11th to 12th: Taurids of the North
- November 17: Leonidas
- December 13th to 14th: Geminis
- December 22: Ursids
Full moons in 2021
There are still eight full moons to come in 2022, with two of them qualifying as supermoons.
Definitions of a supermoon can vary but the term usually denotes a full moon that is brighter and closer to Earth than normal and therefore appears larger in the night sky.
Some astronomers say the phenomenon occurs when the moon is within 90% of perigee – which is its closest approach to Earth in orbit. By this definition, the full moon in June, as well as the full moon in July, will be considered supermoon events.
Here is a list of the remaining moons this year, according to the Farmers’ Almanac :
- May 16: Moon of Flowers
- June 14: Strawberry Moon
- July 13: Deer Moon
- August 11: Sturgeon Moon
- September 10: full moon
- October 9: Hunter’s Moon
- November 8: Beaver Moon
Solar and lunar eclipses
A partial solar eclipse on October 25 will be visible to those in Greenland, Iceland, Europe, northeast Africa, the Middle East, west Asia, India and western China. The first was on April 30th.
Partial solar eclipses occur when the Moon passes in front of the Sun, but only blocks part of its light. Make sure you wear proper eclipse glasses to safely view solar eclipses, as sunlight can be harmful to your eyes.
There will also be two total lunar eclipses in 2022.
A total lunar eclipse will be visible to those in Europe, Africa, South America and North America (except for the Northwest regions) between 10:31 pm PT on May 15 and 3:52 am on May 16.
Another total lunar eclipse will also be on display for those in Asia, Australia, Pacific, South America and North America on November 8 between 4:01 am and 9:58 am — but the Moon will be setting for those in eastern regions of North America.
a lunar eclipse it can only occur during the full Moon, when the Sun, Earth, and Moon align and the Moon passes into Earth’s shadow. The Earth casts two shadows on the Moon during the eclipse. The penumbra is the partial outer shadow, and the umbra is the full, dark shadow.
When the full moon moves into the Earth’s shadow, it darkens but does not disappear. Sunlight passing through Earth’s atmosphere illuminates the Moon dramatically, turning it red – which is why this event is often called a “blood moon”.
Depending on the weather conditions in your area, the moon may appear rusty, brick-colored, or blood red.
This color variability 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 at the moon.
Source: CNN Brasil
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