The annual Quadrantid meteor shower is underway, kicking off the new year under moonless skies. European observers will see the Saturn occultation in person, while others can catch it on livestream.
This shower makes a bright splash at the darkest time of the year, offering a final opportunity to “gas up” before winter’s sparse meteor activity picks up again. Spying a brilliant meteor shooting across the sky is one of the most moving and accessible phenomena for sky-watchers.
The Quadrantid shower has an unusually brief peak, lasting around 6-12 hours, due to Earth’s narrow passage through the thickest part of the stream. The radiant point lies in Quadrans Muralis, a faint group of stars in northern Boötes, which is nearly circumpolar from mid-northern latitudes.
Maximum is expected around 15:00 UT (10 a.m. EST) under a moonless sky. Alaska and points west will see the most meteors per hour, while those in the contiguous U.S. and Canada can expect around 25 meteors per hour. The shower produces fireballs, with typical entry velocities of 41 kilometers per second.
The Quadrantid meteoroids are composed of dust and rocky bits from a small asteroid called 2003 EH1, which has an orbit resembling that of a short-period comet. Astronomers believe the asteroid ejected the dense core of the Quadrantid stream around 1700-1800 A.D., explaining its sharp peak.
As you watch the Quads, consider how each meteor flash results from a small particle slamming into the upper atmosphere at high velocity, generating heat and light. Don’t miss this opportunity to witness the thrill (and chill!) of watching meteors while the neighbors sleep.
Source: https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-news/watch-quadrantid-meteors-fly-and-the-moon-occult-saturn