With 2021 behind us, 2022 is set to bring us another year of gorgeous meteor showers, supermoons and much more.
At the end of the month in the early hours of January 29th, you should be able to get a glimpse of the Moon near Mars. Mars will be returning to the night sky after passing behind the Sun the last few months. Because of this, NASA also stops communicating with its spacecraft at Mars for about 2 weeks every two years, when the planet is directly opposite of the Sun. Along with Mars you will also be able to take a peek at Venus. Venus will be rising before the Sun as the „Morning Star“ and will be viewable in the southeastern sky. With 2021 in the books, there is still much to look forward to when it comes to viewing the night sky in 2022. January will be bringing us a new Moon, a meteor shower, and the chance to see a couple of planets shining near the Moon. The last month of 2021 provided plenty for sky watchers to take in. The Geminid meteor shower lit up the night sky with green fireballs in early December. Comet Leonard returned into our view as well for the first time in 70,000 years. And then at the end of the month the Ursid meteor shower gave us a celestial light show to close out 2021. Now with 2022 just beginning, we have a new meteor shower that is about to grace us with falling stars in the first part of January. The Quadrantid meteor shower should be viewable tonight, January 2nd, and peak into the morning of January 3rd.
