One of the most intense annual meteor displays can be seen early in the month of January.
We might expect the "Bootids" to be called because they will peak in the night of January 3 and 4. There was a constellation in the late 18th century called the "Mural or Wall Quadrant". The star pattern was created by J.J. Lalande to honor the instrument he used to observe the stars.
After the discovery of the meteor shower in the 1830's, it was noted by many people in Europe and the US. Even though the constellation from which these meteors appear to radiate no longer exists, the shower's original name remains. There is a guide on how to see the Quadrantid meteor shower.
The best shower of the year.
60 to 120 shower members should be seen. 6 hours before and after maximum, the blue meteorites appear at half their highest rates. The stream of particles may have come from a small comet.
In 2003 an astronomer from NASA found a near-Earth asteroid that appeared to be on the correct path to make the Quadrantids. The asteroid is thought to be a piece of an old comet that was recorded by Chinese, Korean, and Japanese people. Some of the pieces of the comet may have become the meteoroids that make up the stream.
Check out our guides on how to photograph a meteor shower, as well as the best cameras for astronomy, if you want to take a picture of the Quadrantid.
The first image of two.
It won't be a good year to look for the Quadrantid shower. Poor timing is to blame.
According to the Observer's Handbook of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, the peak of this year's shower is predicted for 10 pm. There will be a full moon on January 3. The gibbous moon won't set until the early hours of Wednesday, January 4, meaning that the sky will be lit up with brilliant moonlight all night long.
The moon won't be as bright as the stars. The best time to view this shower is at 6 a.m. local time, when the shower is at its peak.
If you head out to look for meteorites, make sure to wear warm clothing. It is winter in the northern hemisphere. "Take the advice of a man whose teeth have chattered on many a winter's night, and wrap up much more warmly than you think is necessary!" A thermos jug of your favorite beverage, such as coffee, tea or cocoa, is a great companion on a cold night.
It will be a different story next year for the Quadrantids.
The peak of the shower will be at 4 a.m. Eastern North America will be favored on January 4. Compared to this year, the moon will be at a much more favorable phase, with a fat waning crescent just 47% illuminated in the constellation of Virgo, which will make it easier for people to view meteorites. The "Quads" could be one of the best shows of the year.
The old Dodger fans in Brooklyn used to say "Wait till next year!" at the end of the baseball season.
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There is an instructor and guest lecturer at New York's Hayden Planetarium. He writes about astronomy for a number of publications. We encourage you to follow us on social media:
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