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Stargazers will get a glimpse of the Quadrantid meteor shower this weekend, which lights up the sky with up to 200 shooting stars every hour.
The annual meteor shower takes place every year between December 28 and January 12, but in 2021 the best views in the UK will be after dark on January 2-3.
Quadrantids are known to produce between 50 and 200 meteors per hour on a clear night, and NASA describes them as one of the best annual meteor showers.
Meteorites are pieces of rocky debris that enter Earth’s atmosphere at a speed of up to 40 miles per second, leaving streaks of light that we refer to as ‘shooting stars’.
Quadrantids in the Great Khingan Mountains in northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province, January 4, 2019
Quadrantids are especially known for their bright “fireball” shaped meteors that leave behind large bursts of light and color that persist longer than average meteor streaks.
This is due to the fact that fireballs originate from larger particles of material, according to NASA.
Most meteor showers have a two-day peak, but the Quadrantids have a ‘peak’ window of only six hours.
“The reason the peak is so short is due to the fine stream of particles from the rain and the fact that the Earth crosses the stream at a perpendicular angle,” says NASA.
Quadrantids are best seen in the northern hemisphere because their radiant point, the point at which a meteor appears to originate, is far north in the dome of the sky.
The easiest way to find the shower is to look north for Ursa Major. Then follow the ‘arc’ of the Ursa Major’s handle across the sky to the red giant star Arcturus – this anchors the bottom of the Bootes constellation, where the meteor shower will appear.
A meteor streaks through the stars during the annual Quadrantid meteor shower in Qingdao, Shandong province, January 4, 2014
According to the International Meteor Organization (IMO), the peak is expected to occur around 14:30 GMT on Sunday, January 3.
But it is usually difficult to predict exactly when it will peak.
“That prediction is not set in stone,” Robert Lunsford, a meteor observer for the American Meteor Society, previously told Space.com.
We have not finalized this yet. He acts the way he wants. ‘
If the IMO estimate is correct, people in North America, especially the West Coast and Pacific Islands, will get the best view this year, due to time zone.
This is because quadrantids are best seen at night and before sunrise.
However, Europeans will be able to enjoy a fantastic view at the weekend, as long as the weather is clear.
Quadrantid meteor shower in the Great Khingan Mountains in northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province
Quadrantids reward the most patient of stargazers, according to NASA.
“To see the Quadrantids, look for an area away from city or street lights,” says the space agency.
‘Come prepared for winter weather with a sleeping bag, blanket or lawn chair.
Lie on your back with your feet to the northeast and look up, gazing at as much of the sky as possible.
‘In less than 30 minutes in the dark, your eyes will adjust and you will start to see meteorites.
“Be patient, the show will last until dawn so you have plenty of time to take a look.”
The easiest way to find the shower is to look north for Ursa Major, the distinctive cluster of seven bright stars, and a useful navigation tool.
Landscape of the Quadrantid meteor shower in the Great Khingan Mountains, northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province, January 4, 2019
Then follow the ‘arc’ of the Ursa Major’s handle across the sky to the red giant star Arcturus, this anchors the bottom of the Bootes constellation where the meteor shower will appear.
The Quadrantids derive their name from the constellation Quadrans Muralis, a mural quadrant, which was created by the French astronomer Jerome Lalande in 1795.
They originate from a small asteroid, named 2003 EH1, with a diameter of only three kilometers (two miles) wide.
2003 EH1 was discovered on March 6, 2003 by the Lowell Near-Earth Object Search Observatory (LONEOS).
It takes the asteroid an impressive 5.52 years to orbit the sun once.
Studies suggest that this body could very well be a piece of a comet that broke several centuries ago.
