WAUKESHA, WI – As America continues to distance socially, 2021 kicks off with the first major meteor shower, the Quadrantids, to rise over Waukesha this weekend. The shower has the potential to be one of the strongest of the year, but the window for maximum activity is short – just six hours – and with winter settling in most of the country, showering requires a dedication .
Peak activity takes place on Saturday, January 2, late at night and early Sunday morning, January 3.
The Quadrantids are a prolific meteor shower, sometimes providing as many as 50 to 100 shooting stars per hour in a dark sky, and are known for producing bright fireballs. As with all meteor showers, the Quadrantids are best viewed without city lights.
The Quadrantid meteor shower is facing competition from a waning moon this year, according to Earthsky.org. But even with the moonlight, it may still be possible to catch fireballs. The Quadrantids started on Sunday and will continue through January 10th.
There will be many more reasons to go out and gaze at the night sky in 2021.
Meteor showers
Lyrids, April 21-22: This medium-strength shower, which produces 10 to 15 shooting stars per hour and is known for producing fireballs, runs from April 16 to 30. For the best viewing conditions, go outside for an hour or two between moonset and sunrise. The Lyrid meteor shower can produce rare bursts of up to 100 shooting stars per hour. The constellation Lyra, marked by the bright star Vega, is the shining point for this shower.
Eta Aquariids, May 4-6: This meteor shower, which runs from April 27 to May 28, is in favor of the Southern Hemisphere. People in the north of the US may only see a few shooting stars from the Eta Aquariid meteor shower, while those in the south of the US can reliably see 10 to 20 per hour. The American Meteor Society says they are fast and produce a high percentage of sustained trains, but few fireballs. The constellation Aquarius the Water Bearer is the shining point for the shower. A waning crescent moon shouldn’t be too competitive to see this meteor shower.
Delta Aquariids, July 27-30: Don’t commit too much to these dates. The downpour runs from July 12 to August 23, but lacks a definitive peak period. Like the springtime Eta Aquariids, the Delta Aquariid meteor shower prefers the Southern Hemisphere, but skywatchers in the tropical latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere can see 15 or 20 shooting stars per hour. The best time to see them is in the early morning hours. Earthsky.org says the meteors, which appear to be emanating from the constellation Aquarius the Water Carrier from near the star Skat (or Delta), are fairly consistent throughout late July and early August.
Alpha Capricornids, July 28-29: The Alpha Capricornid meteor shower is active from July 3 to August 15. It’s not a particularly powerful rainstorm that only provides about five shooting stars per hour, according to the American Meteor Society, but is notable because so many of the meteors are bright fireballs.
Perseids, Aug. 12-13: The Perseid meteor shower is considered by many to be the best meteor shower of the year, according to Sea and Sky. The shower, famous for its bright meteors at a rate of about 60 per hour during the peak, will run from July 17 to August 24. The shower is best viewed after midnight from a dark location. Although the meteors appear to be radiating from the constellation of Perseus, they can be seen all over the sky.
Draconids, October 8: The Draconid meteor shower differs from most in that it is best viewed at night, when the Draco the Dragon, the head of the constellation, is highest in the sky when darkness falls. It is a short shower, which lasts from 6 to 10 October. Nearly dark skies provide ideal viewing conditions. The shower is a sleeper and usually provides a handful of meteors per hour, but in rare cases the dragon wakes up and spews hundreds of meteors per hour.
Orionids, October 20-21: The Orionid Meteor Shower is active every year from October 2 to November 7, producing between 10 and 20 meteors per hour at its peak. The moon will be full, so only the brightest one might be visible. The Orionids, produced by dust particles left behind by the ancient Comet Halley, appear to radiate from the constellation Orion, but can be seen all over the sky. A nearly full moon will interfere with viewing, which is best in the hours before sunrise.
Taurids, November 4-5 and again November 11-12: This is a long-running small meteor shower that produces only about five or ten shooting stars per hour. It is unusual not only because of its duration – it runs from September 7 to December 10 – but also because it consists of two distinct branches: the South Taurids, peaking November 4-5, and the North Taurids, with peaking in November. 11-12. The southern branch of the Taurid meteor shower is produced by the dust particles behind Asteroid 2004 TG10, and the source of the northern branch is debris left behind by Comet 2P Encke. Both streams are rich in fireballs. At its peak, a new moon creates dark skies. The shooting stars seem to come from the constellation of Taurus, but you can see them all over the sky.
Leonids, November 16-17: The Leonid meteor shower, produced by dust particles left behind by Comet Tempel-Tuttle, runs annually from November 6-30. The Leonids have a cyclonic peak about every 33 years, when hundreds of meteors can be seen for an hour – as last happened in 2001 – but this will be an average year with about 15 shooting stars per hour at the top. A nearly full moon will be tricky, but the Leonids are known for producing exceptionally bright shooting stars that even bright moonlight cannot obscure. The meteors appear to be from the constellation Leo.
Geminids, December 13-14: The Geminid meteor shower, which runs from December 4 to 17, is the best shooting star show of the year. Produced from debris left behind by the asteroid 3200 Phaethon, discovered in 1982, the Geminids at the top produce 50 to 120 multicolored meteors per hour. A crescent moon at the top blocks some, but they are so fertile and bright you should still be able to see a few. The meteors appear to be from the constellation of Gemini, but you can see them all over the sky.
Ursiden, December 21: The Ursid meteor shower runs from December 17 to December 26, always peaking around the winter solstice. The Ursids are fairly calm, delivering five or ten meteors per hour, but in rare cases they can produce bursts of 100 or more meteors per hour. The meteors appear to be from the constellation Ursa Minor.
Full moons and supermoons
A trifecta of supermoons kicks off in April this year, when it will probably be warm enough in most countries to stare comfortably at these big, beautiful glasses.
What is a super moon? As NASA explains, a super moon occurs when the moon’s orbit is closest (perigee) to Earth and full at the same time. The proximity to Earth – keep in mind that our planet and moon are still 226,000 apart at this point – makes the moon appear a bit brighter and larger than usual.
A seasonal blue moon is also rising in 2021 – and it may not be what you think it is. In modern times, a blue moon is often defined as the second full afternoon of a given month. The definition is generally accepted; but in older applications, a blue moon referred to the third full moon in a season with four full moons. NASA says this happens about every 2-1 / 2 years.
“With two decades of popular usage behind it, the second-full-moon-in-a-month is (mis) interpretation as a genie that cannot be forced back into its bottle,” wrote Texas astronomer Donald W. Olson in a 2006 column for Sky & Telescope magazine.
But, he noted, “that’s not necessarily a bad thing.”
Here’s a little bit more trivia about blue moon: there are about 29-1 / 2 days between full moons. For this reason, February never has a new moon according to the modern definition of two full moons per month.
Moon lovers, here are some key dates:
January 28, Full Moon: Also known as the full wolf moon, the old moon, and the moon to Yule.
February 27, Full Moon: Also known as the Full Snow Moon and the Hunger Moon.
March 28, full moon: Also known as the full worm moon, the crow moon, the crust moon, the sap moon, and the fasting moon.
April 27 Super Moon: Also known as the full pink moon, the germinating grass moon, the growing moon, the egg moon, or the fish moon.
May 26 Supermoon: Also known as the whole corn plant moon and the milk moon.
June 24, Super Moon: Also known as the full strawberry moon, the rose moon, and the honey moon.
July 24, Full Moon: Also known as the full moon, thunder moon, and hay moon.
August 22, Full Moon, Blue Moon: Also known as the full sturgeon moon, the green corn moon, and the grain moon, the August full moon is a blue moon by the earliest definition of the phrase because it is the third of four full moons between the summer solstice and autumn equinox.
Sept 20, Full Moon: Also known as the full harvest moon because it occurs close to the autumn equinox, but also known as the corn moon.
October 20, Full Moon: Also known as the Full Hunter’s Moon, the Travel Moon, and the Blood Moon.
November 19, Full Moon: Also known as the full beaver moon, the icy moon, and the dark moon.
December 19, Full Moon: Also known as the full cold moon, the long night moon, and the moon before Yule.
Solar and lunar eclipses
2021 will have a number of other notable events in the air:
May 26, Total Lunar Eclipse: People living in western North America, the Pacific Ocean, East Asia, Japan and Australia will see a total lunar eclipse, which occurs when the moon passes through the dark shadow of the Earth or umbra is going. The moon gradually darkens and turns a rusty or blood-red color.
June 10, Annular Solar Eclipse: An annular eclipse occurs when the moon is farthest from Earth and appears smaller and does not completely block the view of the sun, resulting in a ring of light around the eclipsed moon. According to NASA, the northeastern United States, Europe, and most of Russia will see a partial solar eclipse.
November 19, partial lunar eclipse: A partial lunar eclipse occurs when the moon passes through the partial shadow or partial shadow of the Earth, and only part of it passes through the darkest shadow or umbra. The moon darkens as it moves through the shadow of the Earth in this type of eclipse. It will be visible in most of North America, as well as eastern Russia, Japan, the Pacific, Mexico, Central America, and parts of western South America.
Dec. 4, Total Solar Eclipse: A total solar eclipse occurs when the moon completely blocks the sun, revealing the sun’s corona or the outer atmosphere. The path of totality for this solar eclipse is limited to Antarctica and the South Atlantic Ocean, but a partial solar eclipse will be visible across much of South Africa.