Astronomers are in for a delightful New Year surprise as the initial meteor shower of 2025 lights up our nighttime sky in early January.
If you’ve recently gazed up at the night sky, you may have been fortunate to see some of the Quadrantid meteors streaking through the heavens.
This shower is expected to reach its maximum around 3-4 January, but has been observable since 26 December and will last until 12 January.
As stated by Royal Museums Greenwich, it is “among the most powerful and reliable meteor showers of the year.”
What makes the Quadantids unique?
The Quadrantid meteor shower is special. In contrast to the majority of meteor showers, it comes from an asteroid. The origin is asteroid 2003 EH1, which is a rock comet. It revolves around the Sun once every 5.52 years. NASA proposes that the asteroid might be a defunct comet. This renders the Quadrantids especially fascinating for astronomers. The meteors are recognized for their luminous bursts and striking trails.
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When and how to watch the Quadantids?
The positive aspect is that no specialized gear is required to have the opportunity to see the meteors, though a bit of patience may be necessary.
To start, since it’s winter, ensure you are properly dressed for the weather and stay warm. Settle into a garden chair or sun lounger in the darkest area you can find and give your eyes around 15 to 20 minutes to adapt.
The meteors can be seen nearly anywhere in the sky, but are optimally observed roughly two thirds up from the horizon, where the atmosphere becomes less dense.
The location in the sky where meteors seem to come from is referred to as the radiant, and the performance of the display is evaluated by the number of meteors seen per hour, called the zenithal hourly rate.
The radiant point for the Quadrantids is located in the old constellation of Quadrans Muralis, which gives the shower its name, near the Plough. The maximum hourly rate may reach nearly 120 meteors per hour, but this high point only persists for a few hours.
Fortunately, during the prime viewing days, a waxing moon sets at night, which diminishes the chance of additional light pollution interfering with the event.
