After a gripping 2020, we all deserve a heavenly spectacle to welcome the new year. The Quadrantids meteor shower has just the right display in store.
The meteor shower reaches its peak on Saturday evening (January 2), sending up to 90 shooting stars across the sky every hour.
NASA calls the Quadrantids “one of the best annual meteor showers.” They are known for their bright fireballs, which leave colorful trails of light on the night sky for a short time.
NASA’s All Sky cameras captured a Quadrantid meteor on January 4, 2016.
NASA
Most meteor showers come from the dust of a comet (a ball of ice and rock), but the Quadrantids are leftover pieces of an asteroid (a bare space rock).
As Earth orbits the sun, it crosses the orbital path of asteroid 2003 EH1 every January and plows through the trail of debris the asteroid has shed. These pieces of space rock burn up in the atmosphere and emit brilliant flashes of light.
Unfortunately, at about 84% full, the waning moon is likely to surpass about half of Saturday’s meteors. In years when the sky is darker, the Quadrantids can produce as many as 200 shooting stars in one hour.
How to view the quadrantides
A telescope awaits the disappearance of light clouds to see the Perseid meteor shower begin near Bobcaygeon, Ontario, August 12, 2015.
REUTERS / Fred Thornhill
While other meteor showers peak in a few days, the Quadrantids only give their best for about six hours. To capture that full glory, bundle up and get as far from the city lights as possible. Find a comfortable place to lie on your back with an unobstructed view of the stars. (Pro tip: A recliner is a telescope’s best friend.)
If possible, position yourself so that the moon is out of your sight. That will minimize its overwhelming clarity.
Wait 30 minutes for your eyes to adjust to the dark. The celestial show should start as soon as night falls and last until dawn.
The shooting stars will shine from the north, but you should be able to see them all over the sky.
After the Quadrantids, the next meteor shower to look for is the Lyrids, which peak on the night of April 21.