The 2023 Quadrantid Meteor Shower

We are providing a soundtrack for your viewing of the Quadrantid Meteor Shower.


What is the Quadrantid Meteor Shower?

The Quadrantids are meteors that appear to radiate from the location of the former Quadrans Muralis constellation, an area that’s now part of the constellation Bootes. The actual origination is thought to be the asteroid 2003 EH1.

When is the best time to look?

The Quadrantid Meteor Shower peaks on the night of January 3rd and the morning of the 4th.

Will the moon interfere?

Sadly, this year the timing coincides with a very bright, nearly full moon that will wash out most of the meteors. It has a much shorter peak than most other meteor showers – just a few hours versus a day or two.

Where do I look, and how?

Face toward the northeast between midnight and dawn to see as many as two dozen meteors per hour under dark skies.

When you see one of these meteors hold a string along the path it followed. The string will lead you back to the constellation containing the meteor’s radiant.

The meteors appear to radiate from the constellation Bootes, which includes the bright star Arcturus. That’s just the location is the sky, it doesn’t actually come from there. The actual origination is thought to be the asteroid 2003 EH1, which might be an extinct comet.

Bundle up, and give your eyes a little time to adapt to the dark, including a break from looking at your mobile device, in order to see the maximum number of meteors.

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