Next June, Six Planets of the Solar System Align... Total Lunar Eclipse in November

Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute Announces Major Astronomical Events Forecast for 2022

Reference photo.

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] In November next year, a total lunar eclipse will occur where the moon is completely covered by the Earth's umbra, and in June, you will be able to see six planets of the solar system (Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus) aligned in a row.

The Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute announced the forecast of major astronomical phenomena for 2022 on the 23rd. First, in 2022, there will be total lunar eclipses in May and November when the moon is completely covered by the Earth's umbra. The total lunar eclipse on May 16 will not be visible in Korea, but the total lunar eclipse on November 8 will be observable in Korea. This lunar eclipse will begin at 7:16:12 PM, reach its maximum (maximum magnitude 1.364) at 7:59:06 PM, and end at 8:41:54 PM on November 8, based on Seoul time. This eclipse can be observed in Asia, Australia, the Americas, and the Pacific. A solar eclipse occurs when the sun, moon, and Earth are aligned in a straight line, causing the sun to be partially or fully obscured by the moon. In 2022, there will be partial solar eclipses on May 1 and October 25. However, neither of these solar eclipses will be visible in Korea.

From mid to late June, around 4:30 AM, you can see six planets of the solar system lined up from the eastern horizon to the southern sky, excluding Neptune. Except for Uranus, all of these planets can be observed with the naked eye. The best time to observe the six planets aligned in a row is around 4:30 AM on June 26, when the moon is near the new moon phase and Mercury's altitude is above 3 degrees.

The three major meteor showers?the Quadrantids in January, the Perseids in August, and the Geminids in December?can be seen as usual. The Quadrantids, the first meteor shower of the new year, are expected to be most visible on the night of January 3 and early morning of January 4. The Perseids will peak at 10:20 AM on August 13, so they are best observed in the early morning of August 13. The peak time for the Geminids is 10 PM on December 14.

Meanwhile, the largest full moon of 2022 can be seen at 3:38 AM on July 14.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.