KUALA LUMPUR: Stargazers in the country are in for a double treat of several astronomical events in this year.
Besides two solar events and two total lunar eclipses, Malaysians will be able to catch two meteor showers streaking across night skies in August and December.
There will also be several lunar phenomena: three supermoons are slated between June and August and one bloodmoon in November.
The National Planetarium noted these celestial events in its recently released astronomy calendar for 2022.
According to the calendar, the Earth was at its closest to the Sun (perihelion) on Jan 4 and in six months, on July 4, it will be at its furthest position from the Sun (aphelion).
The Perseids meteor shower will light up the skies from Aug 12 until the early hours of Aug 13.
The meteor shower, radiating from the Perseus Constellation, occurs yearly when the Earth passes through the path of the Comet Swift-Tuttle from July 17 to Aug 24.
The Perseids meteor shower this year will be a spectacle to watch as it coincides with a supermoon on Aug 12.
Malaysians can observe a second meteor shower from Dec 14 until the wee hours of Dec 15.
The Geminids meteor shower, often hailed as "the king of meteor showers", also occurs annually when meteors radiate from the Gemini Constellation.
Both meteor showers are best seen from dark locations.
This year's first total lunar eclipse takes place on May 16 that will culminate in a spectacular "super blood moon".
This phenomenon, however, cannot be sighted in Malaysia as it will be visible only in certain parts in Asia, Europe, Africa and the Americas.
But Malaysians will get to see a second total lunar eclipse on Nov 8, that will be visible for almost six hours. A coppery-red blood moon can also be sighted that night as the Earth's shadow falls over the moon during the total lunar eclipse.
The three supermoons for this year will appear in a row on June 14, July 14 and Aug 12.
A supermoon occurs when the Moon's orbit is closest (perigee) to Earth at the same time the Moon is full.
The solar phenomena lined up for this year are equally exciting.
People in Kota Tinggi (on March 25 and Sept 18), Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya (March 28 and Sept 14) and Kuala Terengganu (April 3 and Sept 9) will experience "a zero shadow day" during the equinoxes. During an equinox, the Sun is perfectly aligned with the Earth's equator and objects do not cast a shadow.
Muslims would also be looking forward to May 28 (5.18pm) and July 16 (5.27pm) as the Sun will align directly over the Kaabah in Makkah.
During this period, the shadow lines of all vertical objects on Earth will point towards the Kaabah and enable Muslims to mark the direction of the Qiblah.
Mars and Saturn will also be sighted in the night skies as they position themselves right behind Earth.
Saturn — the second-largest planet in the Solar System — will appear at the Capricornus constellation and align with Earth at 1.02am on Aug 15.
Mars, meanwhile, will appear at the Taurus constellation and position itself opposite Earth at 1.35pm on Dec 8.