Please do look up: Here's what to look forward to in space for 2022
CBC
There's been a lot of hubbub surrounding Don't Look Up, a recent Netflix movie about a planet-killing comet heading towards Earth, but 2022 is actually a great year to turn your eyes to the sky.
There will be missions to Mars and the moon, a dance of planets and eclipses to enjoy. And better yet, no giant comet that threatens to destroy life as we know it on Earth.
Here are just some of 2022's space-related events to keep an eye on.
The start of any new year begins with a meteor shower, the Quadrantids.
This shower — which is produced as Earth moves through debris left over by the passing asteroid 2003 EH — is currently underway, having begun on Dec. 26. While it runs until Jan. 16, its most active peak is on the night of Jan. 2–3.
The shower has the ability to produce more than 100 meteors per hour at its height, however the active window only lasts about six hours, which is brief compared to two of the other most active showers, the Perseids and the Geminids.
Try out this interactive map showing how Earth passes through the meteor shower:
Due to this, it's more likely that, under dark skies (get away from those city lights!), you may see about 25 meteors per hour. The good news is that, during the peak, the moon will not be visible, so you may be able to see some faint meteors. But if not, the Quadrantids also often produce bright fireballs.
If you're lucky enough to have a clear sky on the peak night, just go out and look up. But definitely bundle up and prepare to be cold.
Humans last set foot on the moon almost 50 years ago, in December 1972. But NASA has plans to head back, with international support from the Canadian Space Agency and the European Space Agency, to name but two organizations. And the first phase is scheduled to take place in 2022.
The new program is called Artemis, named after the twin sister of Apollo in Greek mythology. It will return humans to the moon, including the first woman. But the whole program will be done in stages, with Artemis 1 — an uncrewed flight around the moon — planned to launch some time in the spring, after some delays.
The new Orion capsule — together with the European Service Module that will provide electricity and water to astronauts — will sit atop the mighty Space Launch System (SLS), NASA's most powerful rocket.
Once launched, it will orbit Earth before heading to the moon. The trip will take a few days. Once the spacecraft arrives, it will remain in orbit for several more days before heading back to Earth. All the while, engineers and scientists will monitor the spacecraft's performance, gathering information in preparation for Artemis 2, the first crewed flight that will orbit the moon, scheduled for May 2024. And yes, there will be a Canadian astronaut on board that mission.
While it may not be a crewed endeavour, you won't want to miss the launch of the most powerful rocket since the Saturn 5 that first took humans to the moon.
P.E.I.'s Public Schools Branch is looking for 50 substitute bus drivers, and it'll be recruiting at three job fairs on Saturday, June 8. The job fairs are located at the Atlantic Superstore in Montague, Royalty Crossing in Charlottetown, and the bus parking lot of Three Oaks Senior High in Summerside. All three run from 9 a.m. until noon. Dave Gillis, the director of transportation and risk management for the Public Schools Branch, said the number of substitute drivers they're hiring isn't unusual. "We are always looking for more. Our drivers tend to have an older demographic," he said.