Welcome to the curious world of cross-quarter days. What's in the Sky This Month? 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. The launch of Luna 25 is scheduled for July 2022. Festival and tropical zodiac astronomical calculations are from AstroGold by Australian Astrologer Kim . Guides to the night sky. There very interesting & informative. Discover the Quarter Days and theCross-Quarter Days of the ancient Celtic calendar. Love reading all the articles in this publication. ET (2:16 a.m. PT) the sky will have started to brighten. Totality lasts 1 hour and 24 minutes, from 11:29 p.m. | How Is Easter's Date Determined? Meanwhile, about five and a quarter degrees to the west of Venus is coppery Mars. Februarys full Moon is known as the Snow Moon, as the heaviest snowfall often occurs this month. To its upper left is Mars, while Venus shines brilliantly toward the east. Its on the eastern edge of Sagittarius, close to the border with Capricornus, but the chances are the Moon will be too bright to see any stars nearby. This event doesnt happen every year, and they wont be this close again for another 20 years, so be sure to rise a little early and make the most of it! In this article, well tell you about space-related events that you shouldnt miss in 2022. Anyone who has lived outdoors for a while begins to develop a different relationship with nature and the sky. You would measure these angles (taken in a clockwise direction from North) using as large a circular protractor as possible. 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. 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. Step outside at about 30 minutes before sunrise and youll find the crescent Moon hanging below a trio of planets. Quarter days and cross-quarter days: Dividing the year into quarters is an ancient and natural practice: the annual movement of the sun across the sky automatically gives us two equinoxes, two solstices, and four seasons. 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. The Geminid meteors are very bright and have a wide variety of colors: white, yellow, red, blue, and green. January 3, 4 - Quadrantids Meteor Shower. This app has a built-in astronomical calendar where you can set notifications for any of the events youre interested in. Likewise, at Sunset, you would see the Sunset also moves along the Western horizon over the year as well. January 2023, 2023 Astronomy Calendar | Astronomical & Celestial Events, What's in the Sky This Month? Cross Quarter Day - Imbolc - Sunset Rodwin Chamber, Northern Vermont, USA. The ExoMars 2022 mission is planned for launch in September 2022. Under ideal conditions, you could expect to see around 100 meteors an hour, but unfortunately, the conditions are less than ideal this year. The two are now almost exactly four degrees apart, with the gap narrowing slightly over the next four days. 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. 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. 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. This is the best time to observe a planet in the sky. The full Moon in March is typically known as the Worm Moon, as this is the time of year when earthworms can often be seen on the ground. Your pencil should hit both the +16.6 and the -16.6. Up until now, we have been assuming that there is a level horizon. During the mission, the Luna 25 spacecraft will land near the lunar south pole at the Boguslavsky crater and study the composition of the polar regolith. 2022 is a great year to see the planets huddled close together - if you dont mind getting up early to see them! ET (1:09 a.m. PT). . Mid-eclipse occurs at 12:11 a.m. The only requirement to enjoy the heavenly light shows will be cloud-free weather, although having a telescope and cup of coffee could . Neptune is next, on September 16th, followed by Jupiter ten days later, Uranus on November 9th, and, lastly, Mars is at opposition on the evening of December 7th. The gap then widens, with your last chance to see the pair together in 10x50 binoculars on the 18th. Read more about the fascinating origins of Halloween. Most of the astronomical events on this calendar can be seen with unaided eye, although some may require a good pair of binoculars for best viewing. Never miss an eclipse, a meteor shower, a rocket launch or any other event that's out of this world with The Times's Space and Astronomy Calendar. The northern winter solstice occurs around December 21st of each year, and the northern summer solstice occurs around June 21st. ET (3:41 a.m. PT), the partial phase ending at 7:49 a.m. The Quadrantids are named for an extinct constellation whose stars now lie within the borders of Bootes, the Herdsman. In 2022, there will be two partial solar eclipses. The four Quarter Days in southern England, Wales and Ireland are: Lady Day - March 25, Feast of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary, the traditional day for hiring farm workers for the coming year Midsummer - June 24, Feast of St John the Baptist, the midpoint of the growing season After centering the Moon in your binoculars, try moving them down toward the horizon and see if Mercury appears. But the Celts (pronounced "Kelts"), the people of Iron Age Northern Europe were interested in the days half way between these Quarter Days. mayo 29, 2022 . Thats because theres a full Moon tonight, which will substantially brighten the sky and drown out all but the brightest shooting stars. 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. These are currently the three brightest objects in the sky and with just four degrees between the Moon and Jupiter and 3.2 degrees between Jupiter and Venus, the trio should easily fit within the same field of view of almost any 10x50 binoculars. By that time, the Moon will be setting in the west for observers on the east coast, and by the time totality begins at 5:16 a.m. December. Here's an example from Northern Vermont, USA. The solar cross-quarter days occur midway between the equinoxes and solstices. 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 . The waning Moon will appear half-full as it reaches its last quarter at 8:41 a.m. EST. August. Learn more about Midsummer Day. After that, theyll start to drift apart, with the gap more than doubling to nearly a degree by the 6th. They have origins in Germanic traditions and include: Yule (winter solstice), Ostara (spring equinox), Litha (summer solstice), and Mabon (fall equinox). Also Yule or Christmastide. 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. Following the path of the arrow, youll come to faint Mercury, hovering very low over the horizon. Grains harvested at Lammas time also include barley, oats, and sunflower. ExoMars is a joint program of the European Space Agency (ESA) and Roscosmos. Why it May Have Been the Celts. 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. 22 days ago. Jupiter is the third planet this year to reach opposition and is reasonably well placed among the faint stars of western Pisces. PT.) Dont miss out! Mars shines with a coppery light while Saturn appears pale yellow and the pair will easily fit into the same field of view of any binocular (or a telescope at low power). Just choose your Time Zone. During the mission, the Orion spacecraft (launched by the super heavy-lift vehicle called Space Launch System) will spend six days in orbit around our natural satellite. It seems from astronomical alignment that the megaliths mark cross-quarter holidays. In Scotland the quarter days are: 28 February, 28 May, 28 August and 28 November. The feast day of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist is celebrated exactly six months before that of the celebration of Christs birth.) Now, just as we did with the Solstice Sun, let's move into the next dimension:- what does this look like from above? Cross quarters are half way between those . Ancient Celtic Calendar: Quarter Days and Cross-Quarter Days Andrew E. Rothovius October 28, 2022 For daily wit & wisdom, sign up for the Almanac newsletter. This was due to the reform of the Julian calendar under Pope Gregory in 1582 & ten days were annulled. This started the custom of early autumnal elections, because it was a convenient time for people to gather. The Cross-Quarter Days are somewhat more movable. Halloween has always been known to fall on a cross-quarter day, which EarthSky notes our ancestors were deeply aware of, too. Heres another great planetary conjunction for you - Mars and Saturn are now just half a degree apart and while theyre evenly matched in brightness, their colors will contrast nicely. 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. 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. 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. We hope you found this history interesting! From an astronomical point of view, the four arms represent: Winter Solstice - around December 21st (on the cross above: at 6:00 o'clock). For the ancient Celts, these signaled the beginning (not middle) of a season, with the major two divisions being winter (Samhain), starting the dark half of the year, and summer (Beltane), starting the light half of theyear. 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. The Moon turns full at 10:36 p.m. Notice the Sun is headed towards the notch in the horizon. The actual calendar date of Samhain/Halloween is November 11th. Today, June is still one of the most popular months forweddings! Put the point of your compass on E2. The bright star Spica appears 9 degrees to the west of the Moon. Artemis 1 is expected to launch no earlier than February 2022. Read more about the fascinating origins of Halloween! Astronomical Events in 2023 Jan 3/4: Quadrantids Meteors 3 Jan The first major meteor shower of 2022, the Quadrantids, peaks on the night of January 3 and early morning hours of January 4. ET tonight, with Jupiter shining brightly to its east and dim Neptune four and a half degrees to its northwest. In theory, you can see the planet with just your eyes, but youd need to know exactly where to look, have clear skies, and have good eyesight. It's best to start your observations after midnight. The second of the years Super Moons occur today; Junes full Moon was 224,000 miles (360,000 km) away, while the Moon today is 226,000 miles (363,000 km) distant. 2022 cross quarter days. What's in the Sky This Month? In fact, many locations across North America will be lucky enough to witness an occultation of Mars by the Moon. I'll bet that even in Punxsutawney . Connect the two points, and mark the intersection with the Equinox Sun's path (E2). The first eclipse of 2022 is a partial solar eclipse visible from southern South America, parts of Antarctica, and over the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. This time, the eclipse will be visible throughout eastern Russia, Japan, Australia, and parts of western and central North America. In it, it is said: June 24, Midsummer Day. For this article, we will assume that the ancient Celts observed all eight divisions of theyear. This year (as in most years) that honor belongs to Septembers full Moon, but it can sometimes go to Octobers full Moon instead. Youll need an unobstructed view toward the east-northeast at about 30 minutes before sunrise; Mercury will appear as a relatively dim star about six degrees above the horizon. That should give you plenty of time between sunset on the 21st and dawn on the 22nd to see some shooting stars! In reallity, the horizon is usually elevated, which adds a third dimension. 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, 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. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. Midsummer Day 2022: Why (and How) is Midsummer Celebrated? See more of Sri Lanka Astronomical Association on Facebook. Outdoors, if you get up at first light and go to bed when it gets dark, you notice the Sun as it rises and sets each day. Astronomical Calendar for 2022. . The Greater Sabbats; Samhain, Imbolc, Beltane and Lammas, fall on dates that represent high energy in the season. Spring Equinox - around March 21st (at 9:00 o'clock). The penumbral phase begins at 3:02 a.m. 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. Log In. ET (11:50 p.m. PT). Being the largest planet in the solar system, Jupiter almost always appears large enough to see some great detail through a telescope, but as the planet is closer at opposition than at any other time of year, theres a great opportunity to see details that might otherwise have remained hidden. Look toward the southeast at about 30 minutes before sunrise and youll see a crescent Moon, with Venus shining brilliantly to its upper left. Beltaine - May 5. 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. 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