Don’t Miss The Quadrantid Meteor Shower

Silhouette of astronomical telescope and countryside.

Did you know that the first meteor shower of 2022 is happening right now? It’s called the Quadrantid meteor shower, and it runs through Jan. 12. While you might catch a glimpse of the shower near the end of its run, the best dates for viewing are Jan 2-3. Get the details so you’ll be ready to watch during its peak.

What is the Quadrantid Meteor Shower?

First, you might want to know what this shower is. It occurs in January each year and sometimes produces up to 200 meteors an hour. These don’t look like standard meteors. Instead, they turn into bright fireballs. While the constellation Bootes is the meteor shower’s radiant point, you can see these fireballs throughout the night sky.

This is far different from most meteor showers. Generally, showers peak for a full two days. However, Quadrantid’s peak only lasts for a couple of hours, making the window for seeing meteors smaller. However, it makes up for it in the number of meteors it produces.

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How to View the Meteor Shower

You can expect to see the most meteors on the night of Jan. 2 through the morning of Jan. 3. Before going out to see the shower, you’ll want to dress in warm clothes since you’ll be outside for a while.

Then you need to find a place away from any lights, including traffic signals. Once you find a spot, plant your feet so they’re facing northeast and lie down on your back. You might start seeing meteors shortly after the sun goes down, but don’t worry if you don’t see them right away. The shower should continue producing fireballs until around dawn. In fact, the best time to see the meteors will be that short period after the moon sets but before the sun rises. The night sky will be at its darkest, allowing the meteors to jump out at you.

This meteor shower should be a lot of fun this year, so check it out if you have a chance. You could end up spotting dozens of meteors during your adventure.

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