October. The Greater Sabbaths (Cross-Quarter Days) This type of lunar eclipse is the most spectacular because it turns the Moon red! The year 2022 will start with the Quadrantids. The waning Moon will appear half-full as it reaches its last quarter at 8:41 a.m. EST. Mercury enters Aquarius. Unfortunately, although the Moon will pass in front of (occult) Mars today, it wont happen until after the Sun rises for observers in North America. If you want to see Mars and the stars of the Hyades, youll need to go outside at about 90 minutes before sunrise, while the skies are still dark. A total lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes into the central part of the Earths shadow called the umbra. After centering the Moon in your binoculars, try moving them down toward the horizon and see if Mercury appears. January 28. The Lesser Sabbats; Yule, Ostara, Litha and Mabon, fall on the equinoxes and solstices, the dates of which vary slightly from year to year, and they mark the changes of the four seasons. The showers radiant (the point from which the meteors appear to originate) wont rise until the early hours of the morning on the 4th, but you can try your luck the evening before. Tomorrow, May 1 st is also known as May Day, which is one such holiday. If youve been rising early over the past few weeks, you may have noticed Jupiter creeping away from the Sun and into the morning twilight. ET on the 18th. Why it May Have Been the Celts. . It starts with Mercury, Jupiter, and Saturn in the evening twilight, but Mercury will make a brief appearance with Venus and Mars in the predawn sky by the end of February. For ancient Celts, the Cross Quarter Days marked the beginning of seasons rather than the midseason. In this article, youll find info on the peak dates and observing conditions. The Sun marks the year at four clear points called the Quarter Days - in the Northern Hemisphere - the Winter Solstice (longest night), Spring Equinox (equal night and day), Summer Solstice (longest day), and Autumnal Equinox (once again, equal day and night). The cross-quarter days are the four traditional Celtic festivals celebrated by Neopagans. The Quadrantids is an above average shower, with up to 40 meteors per hour at its peak. Jan 2, 2022, 07:10. RobertBurns. The two planets are now four and a quarter degrees apart and can be seen within the same 10x50 binoculars field of view. Theyll continue to draw closer together until August 2nd when the pair will be just a little over a degree and a quarter apart. March brings Venus and Mars close together, with Saturn joining them in the second half of the month and the Moon visiting the trio on the 28th. Discover the Quarter Days and theCross-Quarter Days of the ancient Celtic calendar. We have another picturesque sight in the predawn twilight this morning; step outside at about 30 minutes before sunrise and youll see the waning crescent Moon just a little to the lower left of Venus over the eastern horizon. With the Moon near the bottom of the field of view, Uranus will appear as a bluish star above the Moon, near the top of the field of view. Perhaps, if you're reading this in the remaining socialist states. FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 To ancient civilizations fascinated and entertained by the . For those on the east coast, three degrees will separate the pair at about 30 minutes before sunrise, but that gap will have halved by the time it gets to 30 minutes before sunrise for observers on the west coast. During the Quadrantids peak in January 2022, less than 1% of the Moon will be illuminated, which is perfect for meteor hunting. The two-day-old Moon appears to the left of both worlds on the 24th and the pair will be at their closest on the 28th when just one and a half degrees will separate them. The reason is that Aquarius, the constellation from which the meteors appear to originate, doesnt rise until about two hours before dawn, and the sky starts to brighten shortly after. Yoder believes that they influenced the sense of time of all Europe and of the European colonies in America: Winter Stargazing event in Miami, FL!We use the term "winter" loosely here in Florida, but when it gets even slightly cool, a night out at a dark park with o. The best time to see this will likely be about half an hour before dawn, but if you miss it youll find the pair are slightly closer (0.4 degrees) tomorrow. Soil, are stirred from their winter dormancy and their waters . If Artemis 1 is a success, the next mission Artemis 2 will be a crewed flight to the Moons orbit. The timing of present-day rituals, traditions, and holidays wasinfluenced by the ancientCelts: For the ancient Celts, Cross-Quarter days signaled the beginningof a season! In the 1950s, when people began resurrecting the ancient Celtic religion they began to celebrate Samhain on 1 November, the same day as All Saints Day and All Saints Eve (Halloween). You can also watch our video about the most exciting sky events of 2022. | How Is Easter's Date Determined? This months full Moon can be found in Taurus and, not surprisingly, is known as the Cold Moon. ArtesiaWells/GettyImages. Astronomy Week was created to give sponsoring organizations a longer period of time to host special events. Modern Wiccans are trying to steal the Christian holiday. That should give you plenty of time between sunset on the 21st and dawn on the 22nd to see some shooting stars! This morning youll find it just to the left of Venus, with a gap of nearly two and a half degrees between them. Either way, youll need binoculars to detect Uranus, as it will be too faint to be seen with the naked eye. According to astrological timing, the Sabbat dates are as follows: Ostara (Vernal Equinox) - Sun at 0 Aries Beltane - Sun at 15 Taurus Litha (Summer Solstice) - Sun at 0 Cancer Lammas - Sun at 15 Leo Mabon (Autumn Equinox) - Sun at 0 Libra Samhain - Sun at 15 Scorpio Yule (Winter Solstice) - Sun at 0 Capricorn Imbolc - Sun at 15 Aquarius Intriguing planetary alignments and captivating lunar eclipses are just a few of the astronomical events on the docket for 2022, and many of these celestial happenings will be visible from the heart of New York City to the darkest corners of the American West. Read more about the fascinating origins of Halloween. As we ring the 2022 New Years' bells, love and money planet Venus will be in the midst of a 40-day retrograde period, which occurs approximately every . You would measure these angles (taken in a clockwise direction from North) using as large a circular protractor as possible. Artemis 1 is expected to launch no earlier than February 2022. However, this Decembers Moon is special as it also appears very close to the planet Mars tonight. To use SKYCAL, make your selections in three simple steps: Section 1: Select a Time Zone for the calendar you wish to generate. The next full Moon will be Monday evening, Jan. 17, 2022, appearing opposite the Sun in Earth-based longitude at 6:48 p.m. EST. These occur at the exact mid-point between the Lesser Sabbats. Its fascinating to us how our modern holidays reflect the rich fabric of ourpast. Samhain - around November 1st, the Celtic New Year (The black ball at 4:30 o'clock - between Autumn Equinox and Winter Solstice), Imbolc - around February 1st, the quickening (The seed planted at Samhain moves for the first time (the black ball is at 8:30), Beltane - around May Day, May 1st, the Cross-quarter day of fertility (The crops are up, let's work for their fertility (the black ball is at 10:30), Lughnasad (Lammas/Loaf-Mass) - around August 1st, the first harvest of the grain (ground into the first loaf of bread of the season for Loaf Mass/Lammas (the black ball is at 2:30). Welcome to the curious world of cross-quarter days. The solar cross-quarter days occur midway between the equinoxes and solstices. On October 25, the second partial solar eclipse of 2022 will occur. Lyra, the constellation from which the meteors appear to originate, rises at about 11 p.m., while the waning gibbous Moon rises in Sagittarius some four hours later. The Celtic fire holidays are a few days to a week earlier than the actual cross quarters. Under ideal conditions, you can expect to see about 25 shooting stars an hour. With the potential for 150 shooting stars an hour being visible under ideal conditions, the Geminids produce more meteors than the Perseids and are brighter and more colorful. Learn more about Midsummer Day. These moments are the solstices. September. this year September has 5 weeks (two of which are incomplete (the first day in September fell on a Wednesday and the last Wednesday in September is the 29th (5 weeks la. Why did our foremothers and forefathers know so much about astronomy? Just choose your Time Zone. The Moon turns full among the faint stars of western Virgo at 3:19 a.m. After midnight, the ghosts are said to go back to rest. Just can't say enough about it! Around the time of the spring equinox, Lady Day became the traditional day for hiring farm laborers for the planting and harvesting seasons ahead. Fifteen degrees then separate Venus from Mars to the west and then its another 15 degrees west again to Saturn. The second total lunar eclipse of the year takes place in the early hours of the morning - but not everyone in North America will get to see it. October 5, 1582 became October 15. 2. The launch of Luna 25 is scheduled for July 2022. Mars is the last planet to reach opposition in 2022, and depending on where you live, it could either happen on the 7th or the 8th of December. This ones a little tricky as youll need a good, clear view of the horizon and you wont have long before the dawn breaks. The planet is 45 degrees to the west of the Sun and rises some two hours before dawn, giving you plenty of time to enjoy the view in the morning twilight. Realistically then, the best time to step outside will be between midnight and 3 a.m., with shooting stars most likely to appear from the northeast and southeast. Februarys full Moon is known as the Snow Moon, as the heaviest snowfall often occurs this month. (Fun fact: a vestige of the old system of quarter and cross-quarter days is Groundhog Day, also known as Candlemas on the Christian . On Friday morning, Jan. 28, 2022, the bright star Antares will appear about 7 degrees to the upper right of the . This phase occurs at 18:35 UTC. On Friday night, Feb. 10, the path of Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) is predicted to carry it closely past the bright red planet Mars. Put the point of your compass on E2. Theres another opportunity to see a conjunction of the crescent Moon and several planets this morning. When viewed from C' this will give you the Cross-quarter day Sunrises and Sunsets at a latitude of 51o. Six meteor showers will reach their maximum activity in the period from March to June 2023. Fall Astronomy Day occurs sometime between mid-September and mid-October. Its currently 26 degrees west of the Sun and rises about an hour and a quarter before dawn, but youll need to allow time for the planet to gain some altitude over the horizon. Draw lines B/L-I/s and I/s-B/L. An occultation is what happens when one object (in this case, the Moon) passes in front of another. This gives you about five hours in the evening to enjoy the show! This fixes the Sun in two dimensions. Love reading all the articles in this publication. The days that marked the four major divisions of the year were called Quarter Days; they marked the solstice(when the sun sets at its most northern or southern point on the horizon) and equinoxes (when the sun sets due west). A reporter got an inside look at SpaceX's . ET and is known as the Hunters Moon, as traditionally, this would be the time when people would hunt and stockpile food for the coming winter months. There very interesting & informative. ET (4:49 a.m. PT) and the eclipse as a whole ending at 8:56 a.m. Step outside at about 30 minutes before sunrise and youll find the crescent Moon hanging below a trio of planets. If you werent able to spot Mercury four days ago, you might want to try again tonight. 2022 is a great year to see the planets huddled close together - if you don't mind getting up early to see them! The Celtic Solar Calendar and traditional Japanese Luni-Solar Calendars used the cross-quarter days to mark the start of the various seasons, unlike the current tradition in the West where we say speak of the Equinoxes . Much lore is associated with this day, including this proverb: After Lammas Day, corn ripens as much by night asbyday., It was upon a Lammas night, In 2022, there will be two partial solar eclipses. Mars outshines Aldebaran, the brightest star in Taurus, but take a few moments to compare their colors, as the light from both the planet and star will have a similar hue. "In traditional astronomy, there are eight major seasonal subdivisions of every year," EarthSky shares. Check our planetary conjunctions list so as not to miss them! May Day, or Beltane, was the halfway point between the spring equinox and the summer solstice, and marked the beginning of summer for the ancient Celts. However, the Oneida Native American people know it as The Day is Cut in Two Moon, and its hard to think of a more appropriate (and literal) name when the vernal equinox occurs on the 20th. However, Aldebaran, the brightest star in Taurus, the Bull, may be seen some 14 degrees to the upper left. St. Brigid - 1st February December 2022, Celestron AstroMaster 114 EQ - 114 mm Newtonian Reflector Telescope on Equatorial Mount, Celestron AstroMaster 114 mm Newtonian Reflector on Equatorial Mount - 31042 - Used -SOLD, Celestron AstroMaster 114 EQ Newtonian Reflector on Equatorial Mount - 31042 - Used - SOLD, Celestron AstroMaster 114 EQ - 114 mm Newtonian Reflector Telescope on Equatorial Mount - Used, David Levy 11" Planisphere for 30-60 Degrees North - 11E, LIVE Views of the Lunar Eclipse | May 15, 2022, LIVE Views of the Lunar Eclipse | November 19, 2021, What's in the Sky this Month | March 2023. In fact, many of today's holidaysfrom Groundhog Day to Christmaswere originally seasonal markers. In the Northern Hemisphere, it occurs when the sun is directly over the Tropic of Capricorn, which is located at 23.5 south of the equator and runs through Australia, Chile, southern Brazil, and northern South Africa. Halloween stems from the ancient celebration of Samhain! Unfortunately, the Perseid meteor shower in August coincides with the full Moon, but Saturn reaches opposition a few days later. Aprils full Moon is known as the Pink Moon, after the phlox flowers that bloom at this time of year. :a-b00kl4x0a2-20220819: Combi LED+ . the cross Quarter day - Early February /a > Happy Imbolc 2021 old . In it, it is said: June 24, Midsummer Day. Unfortunately, in 2022, observation conditions will be far from ideal due to the Full Moon shining in the sky. It was also called Brigantia for the Celtic female deity of light, calling attention to the Sunbeing halfway on its advance from the winter solstice to the springequinox. This is a copy of a Druidic Cross that was given to me by the Welsh Druid Ray Kerley when I lived in Glastonbury, England in the mid-eighties. There are four quarter days (two equinoxes and two solstices) that divide the year into quarters. The Perseids are, probably, the most popular meteor shower at least in the Northern Hemisphere, where they peak during warm summer nights. With your circular protractor, measure 16.6 above and below the declination of the Equinox Sun. As a result, the planet rises at sunset, is highest and due south at midnight (or 1:00 a.m. if Daylight Savings is in effect) and then sets at sunrise. What Is An Open Star Cluster & Which Are The Best Ones? Much harder to spot is Venus; its very low over the horizon, but you may be able to catch it if you have an unobstructed view. Be on the lookout for Earthshine; this is the reflected glow from the Earth that illuminates the darkened portion of the Moons surface and allows the whole of the Moon to become visible. Answer: Based on the fact that September has 30 days, September 15th would be exact middle of the month. Remember that you should never look directly at the Sun without special solar filters! Under ideal conditions, you can expect to see up to 23 shooting stars an hour, and with the Moon a waning crescent, you wont need to worry about its light causing the fainter meteors to disappear. PT.) Some have compared the . Today, June is still one of the most popular months forweddings! Section 3: Select the year or year and month of the calendar. Connect B/L3 and B/L' with a straight (transfer line). Youll then be able to see the crescent Moon pass each one during the last week of the month. As for the middle week. Imbolc: Tuesday, astronomical cross quarter days 2022 1 August 1, and Halloween on October waters begin to.. - the White Goddess < /a > Imbolc ( Imbolg ) signals the beginning of Spring ; re in six., creating four cross-quarter days where the two arms Cross on the position earth. A Super Moon is defined as being any full Moon that occurs when the Moon is within 90% of its closest possible distance from the Earth. This gives us an excellent opportunity to see four of the five naked-eye planets in the predawn sky, with all but Mercury being visible. If youve been keeping a watchful eye on Venus and Mars over the past few weeks, youll have seen them drawing closer together in the predawn twilight. End of Document Resource ID 2-107-7097 2023 Thomson Reuters. Their calendar year was divided into four seasons or major sections, marked by four, Then, each section was divided in half, creating four. November. 2015. ET (8:29 p.m. PT) to 12:53 a.m. The Moon will now rise later as it wanes but will rise before midnight for about another five days or so. In reply to John the Baptist by Christine Stouffer (not verified). This would make it seem that they are evenly spaced around the eight-point year. Mars has been drawing closer to the Pleiades over the past few weeks, and now the pair is within the same binocular field of view. Its moving among the faint stars of western Virgo, so there are no other bright stars nearby, and the Moon wont pass through the area until after Mercury has disappeared from view. There are four cross-quarter days in the year, plus the four "quarter" days (the spring equinox, summer solstice, fall equinox, and winter solstice). Jan 4: Earth's Perihelion 4 Jan At 16:17 UTC, the Earth will reach its perihelionthe point on its orbit closest to the Sun. Glyphs seem to suggest an archaic Irish language, though any deciphering of the glyphs has been controversial. ET (11:50 p.m. PT). This month's Cross-Quarter Day is called Groundhog Day in the USA, and I'll bet that 99.9% of the population has + Spring Equinox - around March 21st (at 9:00 o'clock). Through binoculars, it appears as a blue-green star, while a small telescope will show a tiny disc at around 100x. The Druidic Cross to the left indicates the Quarter Days with the four arms of the Cross. This is the best time of the month to observe faint objects such as galaxies and star clusters because there is no moonlight to interfere. In 2022, there will be two total lunar eclipses. In looking at orientations, in addition to those of the Quarter Days, some sacred sites on both sides of the Big Pond are oriented towards these Cross-Quarter Days. The winter solstice marks the shortest day and longest night of the year. Imbolc - February 3. The gap then widens, with your last chance to see the pair together in 10x50 binoculars on the 18th. I held awa to Annie; Some believe that the Celts divided the year into just four major sections: Samhain, Imbolc, Beltane, and Lughnasadh (what we call Cross-Quarter days). Here's an example from Northern Vermont, USA. Not to miss the spectacular astronomical events mentioned above, download Sky Tonight. Midsummer Day 2022: Why (and How) is Midsummer Celebrated? This meteor shower is capable of producing up to 100 meteors per hour. From an astronomical point of view, the four arms represent: Winter Solstice - around December 21st (on the cross above: at 6:00 o'clock). First of all, unlike ourselves, they lived in it. Youll find them over the east-southeastern horizon at about 30 minutes before sunrise; Jupiter appears a brilliant pale gold, while fainter Mars glows below it. If it was cloudy and dark, warmth and rain would thaw out the fields and have them ready forplanting. Cross quarter days are mid-way points between the Solstices and Equinoxes. The opposition occurs when a planet is positioned exactly opposite the Sun as observed from the Earth. With the Moon in the upper left quadrant of the view, Mercury will be in the lower right quadrant and should be visible from about 15 minutes after sunset. ET (2:16 a.m. PT) the sky will have started to brighten. In half the number of days between the Spring Equinox and the Summer Solstice, at Beltane, around May 1st, the Sun has moved approximately 71% of the distance between these two points on the horizon. Southern Hemisphere observers will have to wait until the middle of the night for meteors to appear. Compare its color to Aldebaran, the nearby star that marks the red eye of the bull. This started the custom of early autumnal elections, because it was a convenient time for people to gather. If you havent had a chance to observe the planet telescopically yet, be sure to devote some time to it as it wont look as good by the end of the month. Youll find it in Capricornus, just to the lower right of Saturn at moonrise, with the pair being due south at around 1:00 a.m. Augusts full Moon is called the Sturgeon Moon, due to the number of fish that can now be found in the lakes. ET (7:36 p.m. PT), giving us an opportunity to see it when its disc is 100% illuminated. The time flew by, wi tentless heed, Some historians are divided as to whether the ancient Celts observed the solstices and equinoxes (what we call Quarter Days). I think the article should have said that John the Baptist foretold the coming of a Savior, not the actual birth. 22 days ago. Youll learn about upcoming meteor showers, solar and lunar eclipses, and space missions. Naval Observatory (USNO) provides a wide range of astronomical data and products, and serves as the official source of time for the U.S. Department of Defense, and a standard of time for the entire U.S. There are typically two Super Moons in any given year, and while the second occurs next month, its Junes full Moon thats the closest. Although the Moon is near the eastern end of the constellation, you should have the evening of the 17th and the first few hours of the 18th to make the most of the shower. ET (7:27 p.m. Although classed as being a major shower, the Eta Aquariids have the disadvantage of not being clearly seen from the northern hemisphere.