22nd century facts for kids

The 22nd century is the time period that comes right after our current 21st century. It starts on January 1, 2101, and finishes on December 31, 2200. This century follows the Gregorian calendar, which is the calendar most of the world uses today.

What's Happening in Space in the 22nd Century?

The 22nd century promises many exciting events in space! Scientists can predict these events far in advance. Get ready for lots of eclipses and special planetary alignments.

Lunar and Solar Eclipses

During the 22nd century, we will see many eclipses. An eclipse happens when one space object blocks the light from another.

• There will be 239 lunar eclipses. A lunar eclipse is when the Earth passes between the Sun and the Moon, casting a shadow on the Moon.
• Solar eclipses are when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, blocking the Sun's light. Some of these will be very long and special:
  • June 25, 2150: A total solar eclipse will happen. The Sun will be completely blocked for more than 7 minutes! This will be the first time such a long eclipse has occurred in 177 years.
  • July 5, 2168: Another total solar eclipse will last for 7 minutes and 26 seconds.
  • July 16, 2186: This total solar eclipse is predicted to be one of the longest. It will last for 7 minutes and 29 seconds! Experts at NASA say this might be the longest eclipse in 8,000 years, from 3000 BC to 5000 AD.

Planetary Alignments and Occultations

Sometimes, planets and other space objects line up in interesting ways. These events are called conjunctions or occultations.

• August 2113: Pluto will reach its farthest point from the Sun since it was discovered. This point in its orbit is called aphelion.
• December 11, 2117: We will see a rare transit of Venus. This is when Venus passes directly in front of the Sun, appearing as a small black dot.
• 2123: Mars and Jupiter will have a "triple conjunction." This means they will appear very close to each other in the sky three times in a short period.
• September 14, 2123: At 3:28 PM UTC, Venus will "occult" Jupiter. This means Venus will pass in front of Jupiter, hiding it from view.
• December 8, 2125: Another transit of Venus will occur.
• July 29, 2126: At 4:08 PM UTC, Mercury will occult Mars.
• March 10, 2130: At 7:32 AM UTC, the Sun will pass through the solar system's barycenter. This is the center of mass for the entire solar system.
• December 3, 2133: At 2:14 PM UTC, Mercury will occult Venus.
• 2134: Halley's Comet will return to the inner solar system! This famous comet visits Earth's neighborhood about every 75-76 years.
• 2148: Mars and Saturn will have a triple conjunction.
• 2170: Mars and Jupiter will have another triple conjunction.
• 2178: This year marks the first "Plutonian anniversary" of Pluto's discovery. Since Pluto takes about 248 Earth years to orbit the Sun, this means it will complete its first full orbit since we found it!
• 2185: Mars and Saturn will have another triple conjunction.
• 2187: Mars and Saturn will have yet another triple conjunction.
• September 2, 2197: Venus will occult Spica, a bright star. The last time Venus hid Spica was way back on November 10, 1783.

Images for kids

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  A friendly robot, perhaps from the future!