Between a once-in-a-lifetime comet and the epic meeting of Jupiter and Saturn before the great conjunction, 2020 was a big year for celestial phenomena. But 2021 kicks off strongly with the peak of the Quadrantid meteor shower, which NASA calls one of the “best annual meteor showers,” from January 2 to January 3.
What are the quadrantides?
According to NASA, the Quadrantides return every year between December 28 and January 12. First seen in 1825, they come from the small asteroid 1003 EH1, discovered in March 2003 by the Lowell Observatory Near-Earth Object Search.
The meteors appear to be radiating from a constellation that no longer exists called “Quadrans Muralis”, but that constellation is not the actual source of the meteors.
“An alternate name for the Quadrantids is the Bootids, as the meteors appear to be radiating from the modern constellation Bootes,” NASA said. “Although the constellation may no longer be recognized, it was considered a constellation long enough to give the meteor shower its name.”
The Quadrantids mark the last meteor shower of the season, leading up to several months with little celestial activity. According to the American Meteor Society, it has the potential to become the strongest shower of the year, along with the Perseids and the Geminids.
During the short period from Saturday evening to Sunday morning, there is a chance of seeing between 60 and 200 meteors per hour at a speed of 25.5 miles per second. Quadrantides are known for their bright fireball meteors, larger explosions of light and color that last longer than the typical meteor streak.
Despite the shower’s potential, it will be short: the window of maximum activity is only six hours.
“The reason the peak is so short is due to the shower’s thin stream of particles and the fact that the Earth crosses the stream at a perpendicular angle,” NASA says.
Daniel López / NASA APOD
How to View the Quadrantid Meteor Shower
The Quadrantids are best viewed from the Northern Hemisphere, but poor weather conditions in early January also make viewing more difficult. Even if the sky is clear of clouds, a nearly full waning moon will continue to shine brightly all weekend, making it difficult to spot meteors.
Unlike many other popular meteor showers, which peak over several nights, seeing the Quadrantids is essential when you are able to spot meteors. According to the International Meteor Organization, the peak is expected to occur around 2:30 p.m. UTC on Sunday – meaning that the best chance to see the downpour in North America will be in the early morning hours of Sunday morning.
Like all meteor showers, you want to look away from all the bright city lights for the best, lying on your back and giving your eyes about 30 minutes to adjust to the dark. Dress for winter weather and be patient – the show lasts until dawn.
After the Quadrantids, there won’t be another meteor shower for more than three months, when the Lyrids and Eta Aquariids return in late April.