If you’re looking for some sky treats in 2022, mark your calendar for the 12 full moons that will be shining during the new year. Two of this year’s full moons will be big and bright “supermoons,” and two moons will be turning full during alignments that will create a total lunar eclipse.
A supermoon is a full moon that appears to be slightly bigger and brighter than a typical full moon because it reaches its fullest phase when its orbit brings it closer to Earth.
The moon’s path around the Earth is not perfectly round; instead, it is elliptical — sort of an oval shape — so its distance from our planet varies from month to month when the moon turns full from the light that reflects from the sun.
Here are the dates, times and nicknames of each of the 12 full moons of 2022:
Two of the 12 full moons in 2022 will be “supermoons” because they will be slightly bigger and brighter than a typical full moon.Len Melisurgo | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
Supermoon standards
Although the definition of a supermoon varies among astronomy experts and publications, most consider it to be a full moon that tracks less than 223,000 miles from the Earth at the closest point of its orbit, known as the perigee.
TimeAndDate.com, which frequently writes about big sky events, uses 223,694 miles (which is 360,000 kilometers) as its benchmark for supermoons.
Space.com uses calculations set by Fred Espanak, a retired NASA astrophysicist who defines a supermoon “as a full moon within 90% of its closest approach to Earth.” Anyone who follows that definition, including EarthSky.org, will say there will be four supermoons in 2022: May, June, July and August.
But more astronomy experts appear to be using the stricter definition, with the shorter distance between the moon and the Earth, saying there will be only two supermoons in 2022 — one on June 14 and one on July 13.
During a lunar eclipse, like this one in 2010, light reflecting from the sun will make the moon appear to glow in a rusty orange or reddish color. That’s why many people call this type of full moon a “blood moon.”SL
Lunar eclipses in 2022
The new year will also feature two total lunar eclipses, when the Earth’s shadow will temporarily cover the entire moon. During the event, light reflecting from the sun will make the moon appear to glow in a rusty orange or reddish color, prompting many sky watchers to refer to this full moon as a “blood moon.”
The first lunar eclipse in 2022 will start during the late-night hours on Sunday, May 15 and end in the early-morning hours on Monday, May 16, according to TimeAndDate.com. It will be visible from the United States, along with the rest of North America as well as South America, Africa, Europe and parts of Asia, the website says.
The second lunar eclipse in 2022 will occur during the early morning hours on Tuesday, Nov. 8, and also will be visible from the United States and the rest of North America, says TimeAndDate.com. People in Asia, Australia, most of South America and parts of northern and eastern Europe also will be able to see the November eclipse.
A lunar eclipse occurs when the moon drifts across the Earth’s dark shadow during a period when the sun, the earth and the moon are closely aligned. Because of that alignment, our planet’s shadow will temporarily block the light that the sun reflects off the moon’s surface, so the moon’s brightness will fade.AccuWeather
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Len Melisurgo may be reached at LMelisurgo@njadvancemedia.com.