Annual Astronomy Highlights
Annual Astronomy Highlights
Every year Bishop Museum’s J. Watumull Planetarium (Honolulu, Hawaiʻi) provides a calendar of astronomical events specifically for Hawaiʻi’s location and time zone.
Most sources that list the times for moon phases, meteor shower peaks, the start of the seasons, and other events provide that information in Universal Time (UT), which is ten hours ahead of Hawaiʻi Standard Time (HST). We’ve adjusted all times and dates on our calendar to reflect when they occur in HST.
This calendar also provides the dates and times for lāhainā noon for many locations in the Islands. Lāhainā noon is the term for the phenomenon that occurs two days each year when the sun is exactly overhead. This only occurs in the tropics, and the dates vary depending on latitude.
In addition to this yearly overview, Bishop Museum provides star maps for each month of the year for Hawaiʻi’s latitude. This resource is available on the Bishop Museum Planetarium website here.
A Note about Meteor Showers
For all meteor showers, the viewing will be better after midnight. This is because after midnight, the part of the Earth that you are on faces the debris that causes the meteor shower.
These repeating annual events are caused as the Earth enters into a field of debris left over from a specific comet (or, in the case of the Geminids, an asteroid). As the Earth goes around the Sun, our planet runs into the same debris at the same time each year, which is why these showers occur at the same time every year.
Meteor showers are named for the constellation where the meteors appear to come from. The Lyrid shower is named for the constellation Lyra, the Harp, for example. Generally, these constellations are rising in the east during the prime post-midnight viewing time for a shower. That said, don’t just look east—scan the entire sky for meteors.
To view meteor showers, just find a dark location (with as little city light as possible), get comfortable (a lawn chair is a good idea), and look up.
Astronomy Events
- What’s Up from the National Air and Space Administration (NASA)
- Celestial News & Events from Sky and Telescope (S&T)
January 3, 2022
Earth at Perihelion
This occurs at 8:52 p.m. on January 3, Hawaiʻi Standard Time. On this day, Earth is only 91.4 million miles from the Sun, compared to an average distance of 93 million miles. (In contrast, at aphelion, in July, Earth will be 94.5 million miles from the Sun.)
Like all planets, Earth’s orbit is not a perfect circle but is elliptical, or like an oval. Earth reaches perihelion, its closest approach to the Sun, in early January each year. Some people think that the change in the seasons is due to how close we are to the Sun. However, what really matters here is the tilt of the Earth. Each January, although we are closer to the Sun than at any other time of the year, the Northern Hemisphere is tilted away from the Sun, and so we experience winter.
January 2–3, 2022
Quadrantids Meteor Shower Peak
The Moon will be in its new moon phase, setting with the Sun, providing perfect viewing conditions all night long.
The Quadrantids have a sharp, short peak, lasting only a few hours. The streaks of the Quadrantids appear to come from the constellation of Boötes (Boo-OH-tees), the Herdsman, in the northeast. “Quadrant Muralis,” or “Mural Quadrant,” is an old name for part of the constellation of Boötes. This is one of the now-lost constellations that were done away with when the International Astronomical Union divided the sky into 88 officially recognized constellations in 1922.
January 7, 2022
Mercury at Greatest Eastern Elongation
On this day the planet Mercury will be farthest from the horizon in the evening sky providing the best opportunity to view it. For a week or so before and after January 7, Mercury will be above the horizon after sunset and far enough from the Sun to be visible for an hour or so after sunset. Also look for Saturn just above Mercury, and Jupiter about twice as high above the horizon than Mercury.
Mercury and Venus are both closer to the Sun than Earth, so we only ever see them near the Sun right after it goes down or right before it comes up. Mercury and Venus each have a Greatest Eastern Elongation when they are farthest above the horizon and visible after sunset and Greatest Western Elongation when they are farthest above the horizon and visible before sunrise. These dates change each year because of the motion around the Sun of Earth, Venus, and Mercury.
February 1, 2022
Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year occurs two new moons before the first day of spring, which occurs on March 20 this year.
February 16, 2022
Mercury at Greatest Western Elongation
On this day the planet Mercury will be farthest from the horizon in the predawn sky, providing the best opportunity to view it. For a week or so before and after February 16, Mercury will be above the horizon before sunrise and far enough from the Sun to be visible for an hour or so before sunrise.
Mercury and Venus are both closer to the Sun than Earth, so we only ever see them near the Sun right after it goes down or right before it comes up. Mercury and Venus each have a Greatest Eastern Elongation when they are farthest above the horizon and visible after sunset and Greatest Western Elongation when they are farthest above the horizon and visible before sunrise. These dates change each year because of the motion around the Sun of Earth, Venus, and Mercury.
March 13, 2022
Daylight Saving Time Starts for US Continent
Start of Daylight Saving Time for most of the continental US and Canada. As of this day, the East Coast is six hours ahead of the Hawaiian Islands (instead of five) and the West Coast is three hours ahead of Hawai‘i (instead of two). The Hawaiian Islands do not observe Daylight Saving Time.
March 20, 2022
March Equinox; Northern Hemisphere Spring Begins
At 5:33 a.m. HST, the Sun crosses the celestial equator (Earth’s equator projected into space) as its path across the sky (the ecliptic) appears to move farther north. On this day the Sun rises due east and sets due west, and the length of day and night are approximately equal. The equal day and night is where the word equinox comes from. The Latin word aequus means equal, and nox means night.
Venus at Greatest Western Elongation
On this day the planet Venus will be farthest from the horizon in the predawn sky. Venus will be above the horizon before sunrise and far enough from the Sun to be visible for about two hours or so before sunrise.
Mercury and Venus are both closer to the Sun than Earth, so we only ever see them near the Sun right after it goes down or right before it comes up. Mercury and Venus each have a Greatest Eastern Elongation when they are farthest above the horizon and visible after sunset and Greatest Western Elongation when they are farthest above the horizon and visible before sunrise. These dates change each year because of the motion around the Sun of Earth, Venus, and Mercury.
April 21–22, 2022
Lyrid Meteor Shower Peak
A waning gibbous moon will brighten the skies after about 12:30 a.m., reducing visibility of meteors.
The Lyrids are named for the constellation Lyra, the Harp, where the meteor shower appears to originate from. As with all meteor showers, the best viewing times for the Lyrids will be from 12:01 a.m. to dawn (5:45 a.m.), early on April 22. They should start being visible around 10 p.m. while Lyra rises in the east. The shower is active from April 16–25, so if you miss the peak the night of April 21, you may still spot a few meteors in the days before and after. While not one of the strongest showers, the Lyrids can produce up to twenty meteors per hour. The Lyrids are generated from the debris of Comet C/1861 G Thatcher.
April 29, 2022
Mercury at Greatest Eastern Elongation
On this day the planet Mercury will be farthest from the horizon in the evening sky, providing the best opportunity to view it. For a week or so before and after April 29, Mercury will be above the horizon after sunset and far enough from the Sun to be visible for an hour or so after sunset. Right next to Mercury you can see the star cluster known as Makaliʻi, or the Pleiades, as well.
Mercury and Venus are both closer to the Sun than Earth, so we only ever see them near the Sun right after it goes down or right before it comes up. Mercury and Venus each have a Greatest Eastern Elongation when they are farthest above the horizon and visible after sunset and Greatest Western Elongation when they are farthest above the horizon and visible before sunrise. These dates change each year because of the motion around the Sun of Earth, Venus, and Mercury.
May 5–6, 2022
Eta Aquarid Meteor Shower Peak
The Moon sets at 11:35 p.m. on May 5 so it will not affect viewing of this meteor shower.
Though this meteor shower’s peak is from May 5–6, it is active from April 19 to May 20 each year. The portion of Aquarius from which the meteors radiate rises above the horizon around 3:00 a.m., but meteors will be visible before that. This is a light shower of about 20 to 40 meteors per hour. One of its claims to fame: this shower is one of two showers caused by debris from Halley’s Comet, along with the Orionids in October.
May 14–30, 2022
First Lāhainā Noon Season of the Year
May 14 is the first occurrence of lāhainā noon in Hawaiʻi for 2022. During lāhainā noon upright objects such as a flagpole will cast no shadow becuase the Sun is exactly 90o overhead. South Point on Hawaiʻi Island experiences it first on May 14 and over the next two weeks locations farther north through the Islands will experience it too. As we move through May, getting closer to the June Solstice when Earth’s northern half is tilted toward the Sun, the location where the lāhainā noon phenomenon occurs moves north as well. After the Solstice in June, Earth’s northern half begins to tilt away from the Sun and the location where lāhainā noon occurs moves south, passing through the Hawaiian Islands again in July. Honolulu’s will be on May 26 at 12:29 p.m. For more information on lāhainā noon and when it occurs for other parts of Hawaiʻi, click here.
May 15, 2022
Total Lunar Eclipse
On the evening of May 15, a total lunar eclipse will be visible from Hawaiʻi! A lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes through the Earth’s shadow cast into space by light from the Sun. Unfortunately for Hawaiʻi, by the time the Moon rises here it will already be on its way out of Earth’s shadow. The maximum for this eclipse occurs before the Moon rises in Hawaiʻi, so we won’t be able to see the characteristic red color the Moon usually turns during a total lunar eclipse. What we will see when the Moon rises is a dark shadow that will retreat across the face of the Moon as it leaves the umbra, the darkest part of Earth’s shadow, over the hour after moonrise. The eclipse officially ends at 8:50 p.m. HST, but after 7:55 p.m. the shadow will be hard to see.
Lunar eclipses only occur during the full moon phase because that is when the Sun, Earth, and Moon are in a line. This does not happen every full moon because the Moon’s orbit is tilted by about 5o in relation to Earth’s orbit around the Sun, so it is usually above or below the shadow cast by Earth. Occasionally things line up just right, though, so that the Moon passes through the Earth’s shadow, or umbra. This causes a total lunar eclipse. The edge of the umbra is called the penumbra; sometimes during a lunar eclipse the Moon just passes through the penumbra and it looks very much like a normal full moon because it’s not the darkest part of the shadow. This is called a penumbral lunar eclipse.
June 13, 2022
Supermoon and Full Moon
This supermoon is the first of two in 2022. The other occurs July 13. The Moon will be a little closer to Earth than average for a full moon, and thus will appear a little bigger and brighter than the norm.
A Moon is officially “full” when the Sun, Earth, and Moon are in a straight line, with the Earth in between the two other celestial bodies, allowing for observers on Earth to receive the maximum sunlight reflected off the Moon, illuminating its whole disk.
Supermoon background—The term “supermoon” is a recent invention and has received a fair amount of media attention in the last few years. It has come to refer to a full moon that occurs when the Moon is near its closest point to Earth in its slightly oval path around our planet. Since the Moon’s path is oval, or elliptical, it can be as close as 225,600 miles from us, or as far from us as 252,000 miles. When the Moon is at the closest point to Earth in its monthly path around the Earth, it is said to be at perigee. A supermoon is just a full moon that occurs on the same day that the Moon is at perigee. Since it’s a little closer than usual, the Moon appears a little larger and a little brighter than a “normal” full moon.
The term supermoon is not an official name. It was coined not by an astronomer but by an astrologer, Richard Nolle, who in 1979 used the term in reference to both new moons and full moons that occur near perigee. That said, there has been very little interest in “super new moons,” since you cannot see a new moon. Incidentally, there is one super new moon in 2022: on June 28.
June 16, 2022
Mercury at Greatest Western Elongation
On this day the planet Mercury will be farthest from the horizon in the predawn sky, providing the best opportunity to view it. For a week or so before and after June 16, Mercury will be above the horizon before sunrise and far enough from the Sun to be visible for an hour or so before sunrise. It could be worth waking up to catch all five of the naked-eye-visible planets. Above Mercury in the east is Venus, higher in the southeast are Mars and Jupiter, and Saturn is high in the southwest. Plus spot the waning gibbous moon!
Mercury and Venus are both closer to the Sun than Earth, so we only ever see them near the Sun right after it goes down or right before it comes up. Mercury and Venus each have a Greatest Eastern Elongation when they are farthest above the horizon and visible after sunset and Greatest Western Elongation when they are farthest above the horizon and visible before sunrise. These dates change each year because of the motion around the Sun of Earth, Venus, and Mercury.
June 20, 2022
June Solstice
Summer begins on June 20 at 11:13 p.m. HST for the Northern Hemisphere. This day has the most hours of sunlight of the year for the Northern Hemisphere, and the fewest for the Southern Hemisphere. The solstice officially occurs at 11:13 p.m. HST, because that is when the Sun is directly overhead at the Tropic of Cancer (23° 30ʹ N Latitude). The Sun will rise at its point farthest north of east and will set at its farthest north of west. After this day the Sun will rise and set closer and closer to due east and west heading toward the equinox in late September.
July 4, 2022
Earth at Aphelion
At 3:10 a.m. HST the Earth will be 94.5 million miles from the Sun, the farthest point in its orbit.
Like all planets, Earth’s orbit is not a perfect circle, but rather an oval. Earth reaches aphelion, its farthest point from the Sun, in early July each year. Some people think that the change in the seasons is due to how close we are to the Sun. However, what really matters is the tilt of the Earth. Each July, although we are farther from the Sun than at any other time of the year, the Northern Hemisphere is tilted toward the Sun, receiving more direct sunlight, and so we experience summer.
July 11–27, 2022
Lāhainā Noon Season
July 11 marks the beginning of the second occurrence of lāhainā noon in Hawaiʻi for 2022. During lāhainā noon, upright objects such as a flagpole will cast no shadow becuase the Sun is exactly 90o overhead. Kauaʻi experiences it first on July 11 and over the next two weeks locations farther south through the Islands will experience it too. As we move through July, away from the June Solstice, Earth’s northern half begins to tilt away from the Sun and the location where the lāhainā noon phenomena occurs moves south. Before the Solstice in June, Earth’s northern half begins to tilt toward the Sun and the location where lāhainā noon occurs moves north, passing through the Hawaiian Islands in May. Honolulu’s will be on July 16 at 12:38 p.m. For more information on lāhainā noon and when it occurs for other parts of Hawaiʻi, click here.
July 13, 2022
Supermoon and Full Moon
This supermoon is the second of two in 2022. The other was June 13. The Moon will be a little closer to Earth than average for a full moon, and thus will appear a little bigger and brighter than the norm.
A Moon is officially “full” when the Sun, Earth, and Moon are in a straight line, with the Earth in between the two other celestial bodies, allowing for observers on Earth to receive the maximum sunlight reflected off the Moon, illuminating its whole disk.
Supermoon background—The term “supermoon” is a recent invention and has received a fair amount of media attention in the last few years. It has come to refer to a full moon that occurs when the Moon is near its closest point to Earth in its slightly oval path around our planet. Since the Moon’s path is oval, or elliptical, it can be as close as 225,600 miles from us, or as far from us as 252,000 miles. When the Moon is at the closest point to Earth in its monthly path around the Earth, it is said to be at perigee. A supermoon is just a full moon that occurs on the same day that the Moon is at perigee. Since it’s a little closer than usual, the Moon appears a little larger and a little brighter than a “normal” full moon.
The term supermoon is not an official name. It was coined not by an astronomer but by an astrologer, Richard Nolle, who in 1979 used the term in reference to both new moons and full moons that occur near perigee. That said, there has been very little interest in “super new moons,” since you cannot see a new moon. Incidentally, there is one super new moon in 2022: on June 28.
August 12–13, 2022
Perseid Meteor Shower Peak
The Moon will be one day past full, rising at about 8 p.m. and out all night long. The bright Moon will reduce visibility of all but the brightest meteors.
The Perseid Meteor Shower is active from July 13 to August 26, but the most active and fruitful dates are August 11 and August 12. The Perseids are the most famous and bountiful meteor shower, with up to or over 100 meteors per hour, often leaving long trails across the sky. The shower is generated by debris from Comet 109 P Swift Tuttle. This comet takes 130 years to orbit the Sun. It most recently passed through the Earth’s part of the solar system back in 1992, leaving lots of fresh comet debris, leading to particularly good showers.
August 14, 2022
Saturn at Opposition
The planet Saturn is brighter than at any other time of the year and will be visible all night. When a planet is in opposition, there is a straight line between the Sun, Earth, and the other planet, with Earth being in the middle. This allows for the maximum reflection of sunlight from the planet to bounce back to us on Earth. During opposition, a planet rises at sunset, is high at midnight, and sets at dawn. This is a great time to view Saturn through a telescope and enjoy its beautiful rings.
August 27, 2022
Mercury at Greatest Eastern Elongation
On this day the planet Mercury will be farthest from the horizon in the evening sky, providing the best opportunity to view it. For a week or so before and after August 27, Mercury will be above the horizon after sunset and far enough from the Sun to be visible for an hour or so after sunset.
Mercury and Venus are both closer to the Sun than Earth, so we only ever see them near the Sun right after it goes down or right before it comes up. Mercury and Venus each have a Greatest Eastern Elongation when they are farthest above the horizon and visible after sunset and Greatest Western Elongation when they are farthest above the horizon and visible before sunrise. These dates change each year because of the motion around the Sun of Earth, Venus, and Mercury.
September 22, 2022
September Equinox; Autumn Begins in the Northern Hemisphere
At 3:03 p.m. the Sun crosses the celestial equator (Earth’s equator projected into space) as its path across the sky (the ecliptic) appears to move farther south. On this day the Sun rises due east and sets due west and the length of day and night are approximately equal. The equal day and night is where the word equinox comes from. The Latin word aequus means equal, and nox means night.
September 26, 2022
Jupiter at Opposition
The planet Jupiter is brighter than at any other time of the year and will be visible all night. When a planet is in opposition, there is a straight line between the Sun, Earth, and the other planet, with Earth being in the middle. This allows for the maximum reflection of sunlight from the planet to bounce back to us on Earth. During opposition, a planet rises at sunset, is high at midnight, and sets at dawn. During this time, a pair of binoculars will allow you to see the Galilean Moons—the four largest moons of Jupiter.
October 8, 2022
Mercury at Greatest Western Elongation
On this day the planet Mercury will be farthest from the horizon in the predawn sky, providing the best opportunity to view it. For a week or so before and after October 8, Mercury will be above the horizon before sunrise and far enough from the Sun to be visible for an hour or so before sunrise.
Mercury and Venus are both closer to the Sun than Earth, so we only ever see them near the Sun right after it goes down or right before it comes up. Mercury and Venus each have a Greatest Eastern Elongation when they are farthest above the horizon and visible after sunset and Greatest Western Elongation when they are farthest above the horizon and visible before sunrise. These dates change each year because of the motion around the Sun of Earth, Venus, and Mercury.
October 8–9, 2022
Draconid Meteor Shower Peak
The Moon will be just about full, making viewing difficult this year for this shower.
In Hawaiʻi, the constellation Draco, for which the Draconid Meteor Shower is named, sets at about midnight in early October due to our low latitude. This means the meteors will be most active for us from after sunset until about midnight. While the Draconids have produced some spectacular showers in the past, it is typically not among the more impressive meteor showers. The shower is caused by debris from comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner.
October 20–21, 2022
Orionid Meteor Shower Peak
The Moon will rise at 3:09 a.m., but will be a thin crescent not impacting visibility for this shower.
The active period for this shower is September 23–November 27, though the peak, producing about 20–25 meteors an hour, will be on October 20 and 21. Like the Eta Aquarids in May, this meteor shower is caused by debris from Halley’s Comet.
November 6, 2022
Daylight Saving Time Ends
Daylight Saving Time ends at 2 a.m. for most of the continental US and Canada. As of this day, the East Coast is five hours ahead of the Hawaiian Islands (instead of six) and the West Coast is two hours ahead (instead of three).
November 7–8, 2022
Total Lunar Eclipse
From the night of November 7 into November 8, Hawaiʻi will be treated to a total lunar eclipse! A lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes through the Earth’s shadow cast into space by light from the Sun. For this eclipse, the Moon begins to move into Earth’s shadow at 10:02 p.m. At 12:16 a.m. the Moon will begin to turn red as it enters the center of Earth’s shadow. The red color comes from sunlight passing through Earth’s atmosphere, the same reason sunsets produce a red color. At 1:41 a.m. the red color will fade as the Moon begins to move out from Earth’s shadow. At 3:56 a.m. the eclipse ends. Lunar eclipses only occur during the full moon phase because that is when the Sun, Earth, and Moon are in a line. This does not happen every full moon because the Moon’s orbit is tilted by about 5o in relation to Earth’s orbit around the Sun, so it is usually above or below the shadow cast by Earth. Occasionally things line up just right, so that the Moon passes through the Earth’s shadow, or umbra. This causes a total lunar eclipse. The edge of the umbra is called the penumbra; sometimes during a lunar eclipse the Moon just passes through the penumbra and it looks very much like a normal full moon because it’s not the darkest part of the shadow. This is called a penumbral lunar eclipse.
November 17–18, 2022
Leonid Meteor Shower Peak
The Moon will rise at 1:50 a.m. but is a waning crescent. As with all showers, the best viewing is after midnight until dawn, but some meteors could be visible before then.
The Leonids have an intense peak every 33 years and were responsible for the greatest meteor shower over Hawaiʻi in recent times—the 2001 shower. Prior to that 2001 spectacle, the 1966 shower was one of the greatest on record. This year is not expected to produce more than 15 to 20 meteors per hour.
December 7, 2022
Mars at Opposition
The planet Mars is brighter than at any other time of the year and will be visible all night. When a planet is in opposition, there is a straight line between the Sun, Earth, and the other planet, with Earth being in the middle. This allows for the maximum reflection of sunlight from the planet to bounce back to us on Earth. During opposition, a planet rises at sunset, is high at midnight, and sets at dawn.
December 13–14, 2022
Geminid Meteor Shower Peak
The Moon will rise at around 11 p.m. and as a waning gibbous will brighten the skies, reducing visibility. The best viewing time will be from about 3:00 a.m. until dawn, which begins around 6:00 a.m.
The Geminids are one of the best showers to view, as the meteors are very bright and intensely colored. We in Hawaiʻi are lucky as we often have good weather in December to see it well. This meteor shower is a rarity in that it is caused by debris from an asteroid (3200 Phaethon), rather than by comet debris.
December 21, 2022
December Solstice and Mercury Greatest Eastern Elongation
December Solstice
Winter begins on December 21 at 11:47 a.m. HST for the Northern Hemisphere. This day has the least hours of sunlight of the year for the Northern Hemisphere and the most for the Southern Hemisphere. The solstice occurs officially at 11:47 a.m. HST, because that is when the Sun is directly overhead at the Tropic of Capricorn (23° 30ʹ S Latitude). The Sun will rise at its point farthest south of east and will set at its farthest south of west. After this day, the sun will rise and set closer and closer to due east and west heading toward the vernal equinox in late March.
Mercury at Greatest Eastern Elongation
On this day the planet Mercury will be farthest from the horizon in the evening sky, providing the best opportunity to view it. For a week or so before and after December 21, Mercury will be above the horizon after sunset and far enough from the Sun to be visible for an hour or so after sunset. Look for Venus just below Mercury and Jupiter and Saturn high above.
Mercury and Venus are both closer to the Sun than Earth, so we only ever see them near the Sun right after it goes down or right before it comes up. Mercury and Venus each have a Greatest Eastern Elongation when they are farthest above the horizon and visible after sunset and Greatest Western Elongation when they are farthest above the horizon and visible before sunrise. These dates change each year because of the motion around the Sun of Earth, Venus, and Mercury.
About the Planetarium
Bishop Museum’s Jhamandas Watumull Planetarium opened its doors on December 12, 1961. Originally called the Kilolani Planetarium, the Watumull Planetarium has served over six million visitors and students over 60 years of continuous operation. The Planetarium was instrumental in the recovery of the nearly lost art and science of traditional, non-instrument navigation in Hawaiʻi. Nainoa Thompson spent countless hours in the Planetarium with Will Kyselka and other Planetarium staff in the late 1970s learning how to read the night sky. We are honored to continue that legacy by serving as a training space for today’s navigators.
Our GOTO Chronos II optical star projector provides one of the most vivid, realistic recreations of the night sky available today, with 8,500 pinpoint stars and realistic, bright planets. Our Digistar 4K
full-dome video system covers the entire dome in immersive video, allowing us to fly through the rings of Saturn, into the depths of the Orion nebula, out to the edge of the universe, and even simulate a voyage across the Pacific.
The Planetarium has 64 seats and serves 70,000 people a year. The planetarium focuses on programs about Hawaiʻi, blending live and prerecorded elements within each program.
