The New Year of stargazing starts here, as Katrin Raynor-Evans looks forward to 12 months of inspirational astronomical events
Astronomers everywhere will welcome the next year with open arms, ready to embrace an astronomical calendar bursting with comets, occultations, meteor showers and supermoons. Many of these exciting events will be visible with the naked eye or a pair of binoculars, and there will also be occasions when a telescope is needed.
If your New Year’s resolution is to take up stargazing, then this guide will help you get started. You will be amazed at what you can see with just a little bit of time, some basic research (such as your location and the direction you are facing) and patience. To get your bearings you can use our monthly ‘Sky Guide’ or download a planetarium app on your phone. Many of us will be getting new observing equipment at this time of year and now is the best time to assemble that new telescope, or unbox the new pair of binoculars, and enjoy the night sky.
Remember, stargazing is for everyone, so let’s get stuck in and savour everything that the New Year skies have to offer!
January to March
We begin the year when the nights are still very cold, so grab a blanket, a hot drink and step outside into the crisp cold air to enjoy the annual Quadrantid meteor shower. Kicking the year off, the meteor shower takes place on the night of 3 January and into the morning of the 4th. While not the most spectacular of showers, this year’s display should be worthwhile because there will be no bright Moon to wash it out. Look to the northeast to find the constellation of Boötes, the Herdsman, near the Plough asterism; it’s here you will find the radiant, the location in the sky where the meteors originate.
There are planets-a-plenty throughout 2022 and in February, Uranus – the seventh planet from the Sun – will be visible in the night sky above the firstquarter Moon on the seventh day of the month – an easy date to remember! Shining at mag. +5.7, and with the bright waxing Moon in view, you will have to reach for your binoculars to see this icy planet – 10×50 binoculars will do, or a small telescope with an aperture of 3 inches and a magnification of x100.
Venus is the morning ‘star’ throughout most of the year. Easy to identify because of its exceptionally bright appearance, the planet closest to us forms a dazzling sight with Mars on the morning of 27 February. If you can locate the waning crescent Moon hanging low in the southeast, then look to its left and you will easily see Venus shining brightly above Mars.
Venus is at its best and brightest in the early mornings throughout the first half of March – and worth getting out of bed for. The Sun starts rising earlier now and it will soon be time to wave goodbye to those long winter observing sessions that astronomers thrive on. The spring equinox on 20 March marks the beginning of astronomical spring in the Northern Hemisphere. A week later, on 27 March, British Summer Time (BST) begins so remember to put your clocks forward; the morning will now have one hour less of daylight and the evening one hour more.
Captivating comets
We look forward to a selection of the best icy visitors in 2022
The delight of seeing Comet NEOWISE proved there is nothing quite like seeing a naked-eye comet. But, as we look forward to observing 2022’s best comets, remember just how unpredictable they can be.
C/2021 A1 Leonard reaches perihelion in January 2022, but it makes its closest approach to Earth on 12 December 2021, A1 Leonard may become a naked-eye comet, although it will be best seen through binoculars. Locate Arcturus (Alpha (α) Boötis) in the constellation of Boötes, the Herdsman, before sunrise and after sunset to observe.
67P Churyumov-Gerasimenko, 4P/Faye and C/2019 L3 Atlas have been visible throughout the past year and can be found located around the constellation of Gemini, the Twins, at the end of 2021. They will be fading but a telescope will enhance your observations.
On 20 January, Comet 19P/ Borrelly will be at its brightest, around 8th magnitude. Use binoculars or a telescope to see it in the evening in the south by Theta (θ) Ceti in Cetus, the Sea Monster.
C/2021 O3 (PanSTARRS) reaches perihelion around 20-21 April, and assuming it will survive its closest approach to the Sun, we may see the 6th magnitude comet with the naked eye under dark skies, or with binoculars, from late April to May in the evening sky.
April to June
Mercury is the closest planet to orbit the Sun, which means it is quite an elusive target to spot. We only really see it when it appears at its furthest point, either east or west of the Sun. The Solar System’s smallest planet puts on its best show of the year appearing above the western horizon not long after sunset on 10 April and it will be visible until the end of the month. You will have to be quick, though, as it doesn’t hang around for long. You should see the planet with your naked eye or through binoculars, but remember to keep safe and only use any equipment with lenses once the Sun has fully set.
On 22 April, we have the peak of another meteor shower, the Lyrids. Thanks to the Moon rising after 03.00 BST (02:00 UT), the sky will be favourable and the view should be spectacular. Set up on the night of 21 April and look towards the constellation of Lyra, the Lyre, rising in the northeast after 22:00 BST (21:00 UT) to see these meteors, which are caused by debris from Comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher.
You don’t have to wait long for the next meteor shower, but this one will take more effort to see. On the morning of 6 May, the Eta Aquariids will produce around one meteor per minute, but the shower will only be visible for a few hours because the position of its radiant is close to the horizon. If you saw Halley’s Comet in 1986 then you will be intrigued to know that these meteors originate from material left behind by that object. Find a location with a clear horizon and look to the east from around 03.30 BST (02:30 UT) until sunrise. Locate the constellation of Aquarius, the Water-Bearer, and enjoy the show!
If you are on social media and a member of an astronomical group, you will be aware of the excitement when the season of noctilucent clouds (NLCs) begins. You won’t need any equipment to see this ethereal silvery blue phenomenon. NLCs will only appear on a clear summer’s night; they are cirrus-like clouds of ice that are in the mesosphere. Due to their height, they are illuminated by the Sun after it has sunk below the local horizon. Look to the northern horizon in twilight to spot these beautiful clouds.
July to September
The year ahead brings two ‘supermoons’. If you are unfamiliar with the term, a supermoon, or perigee Moon, refers to a full Moon that occurs around the closest point in its orbit to Earth – for example, around 357,264km away on 13 July. On this date we can look forward to a supermoon that will be 30 per cent brighter than usual and appear 14 per cent larger. If you plan on looking at it through a telescope, then make sure you use a Moon filter to reduce the bright glare; it’ll make viewing our natural naighbour much more pleasurable.
The eagerly awaited Perseid meteor shower reaches its maximum on the 12–13 August, when between 100–150 meteors can be seen per hour. This is normally a highlight for keen stargazers, but sadly this year the shower will be washed out by a bright Moon one day past its full phase. Don’t be disheartened; it is still worth getting outside to try and catch a glimpse of some of the brighter meteors, and of course to look at the Moon!
In September the planets will delight observers, including a rare occultation of the Moon and Uranus on the 14th. In simple terms, an occultation is when one object passes in front of another, obscuring it from view. the lunar occultation will take place around 22.30 BST (21:30 UT). Expect the event to take around 50 minutes, when Uranus disappears behind the Moon and then reappears. A pair of binoculars or a telescope will be needed because 77 per cent of the Moon will still be illuminated. If you miss this event, read on: you will have a second chance in December!
October to December
As the nights draw in once more, astronomers will await the longer observing sessions ahead. October brings the Orionid meteor shower, which takes place on the night of the 21st and morning of the 22nd. To locate the radiant, look for Orion, the Hunter, as it rises in the east after 22.00 BST (21:00 UT). Meanwhile, the Taurid meteor shower, also know as the ‘Halloween Fireballs’, is visible from the end of October to the start of December.
You may have experienced a solar or lunar eclipse, partial or full, but if you haven’t, you will get a chance on 25 October when the UK will witness a partial solar eclipse. The Moon will creep across the Sun around 10.00 BST (09:00 UT), obscuring it by about 15 per cent and then vanishing from view at 11.45 BST (10:45 UT). Get some eclipse glasses now!
Over the next two months, Uranus hits the astronomical headlines again. On 9 November it will be at opposition, when it lies opposite the Sun and is at its closest to Earth. Use binoculars or a telescope to observe the bright planet in Aries.
On 5 December we are treated to a second occultation of the Moon and Uranus. Lasting about half an hour, from 16:50 UT to 17:20 UT, the Moon will hide the planet from view just as it did back in September, so get your binoculars and telescopes ready. But that’s not all for occultations, as it’s Mars’s turn to disappear behind the Moon on 8 December at 04:57 UT, reappearing at 05:58 UT.
On 21 December we celebrate the winter solstice when the Northern Hemisphere is at its maximum tilt away from the Sun, and our nearest star will be at its lowest daily maximum elevation in the sky. As the Sun sets on Christmas day, a thin sliver of the Moon will be visible with Venus and Mercury hanging low in the southwestern sky – making a perfect and peaceful end to the year.
Katrin Raynor-Evans is an amateur astronomy writer and is Features Editor for the Society for Popular Astronomy