The Quadrantid meteor shower creates dazzling night sky
- by Jake Bell
- in Research
- — Jan 3, 2021
The type of meteor shower we're getting is called a Quadrantids. In addition to being the first of the year, they're also some of the best, according to NASA, thanks to coming in swiftly (at a rate of 60 to 200 meteors per hour), and because they are bright fireballs that often come colourful trails.
KATC.com reports the Quadrantids meteor shower will "be at its best just before the break of dawn, about 6 a.m. local time" tomorrow morning, Saturday, January 2nd.
According to NASA, the Quadrantids reward most stargazers.
More news: 70 killed in suspected Islamist attacks in NigerThe meteors in this shower originate when the Earth intersects the path of the Asteroid 2003 EH.
During its peak, around 200 Quadrantid meteors can be seen per hour if the sky is clear.
His radiance - the point at which a quadrilateral appears from the sky - is an old star called Cadren Morels.
More news: English Premier League Stars Apologise for Breaking CCP Virus RulesThe Quadrantids meteor shower peaks for only a couple of hours and is best seen from more northern areas because its radiant point is north in the sky.
"An alternative name for the Quadrantids is the Bootids since the meteors appear to radiate from the modern constellation of Bootes", NASA says. "So only the brightest, brightest of the meteors will sort of punch through that bright moon".
The year 2020 ended with a good note astronomically with the Geminids and the Great conjunction. Even if the skies are clear of clouds, a almost full waning gibbous moon will continue to shine brightly throughout the weekend, making meteor-spotting tricky.
More news: 'No need to panic,' China official says of coronavirus variantsThose who would like to watch the Quadrantids should really plan their skywatching experience because, as NASA explained, the Quadrantids' maximum activity tends to be much shorter at just a few hours compared to other meteor showers that can peak for two days. The path of 2003 EH is perpendicular to the plane of Earth's orbit and spans till the orbit of Jupiter (5 times Earth-Sun distance - 1 AU), intersecting Earth's path where Earth will be in January.
