The quadranted meteor shower, which is a strong spectacle in the sky, but can be difficult to see at the time, is equipped at the summit on Saturday night, marking the first meteor shower of 2021.
The annual meteor shower is known for its “bright firebell meteors” and, according to NASA, is considered “one of the best annual meteor showers.”
This year, a bright faint gibbous moon makes it difficult to find meteors, which illuminate the generally dark night sky, according to Earthsyki. However, for a glimpse of the annual light show it is still worth keeping an eye on heaven.
Here’s what to know about the 2021 Quadrangle Meteor Shower:
What is the cause of quadrangular meteor shower
The quadrangle is not a normal meteor shower. Most meteor showers occur when small fragments of debris from a comet erupt into Earth’s atmosphere, while NASA says it is thought to be due to debris from 24 planets or a possible “rock comet”.
Every year, those debris trails come into contact with the Earth’s atmosphere, where they burn and form colorful glasses in the night sky.
When to watch
The International Meteorological Organization predicts that the summit will be at UTC on January 3 at 14:30 pm, which means that North Americans have the best chance of seeing a shower during the next hours of January 3rd.
While some meteors are at their peak for rainy days, the quarter has a window of only a few hours and is known for not always looking right on schedule.
How to observe a quadrilateral
A quarter favors people living in the Northern Hemisphere. The American Meteorological Society recommends that people “face the northeast quarter of the sky and focus your opinion about half way to the sky.”
“Facing this direction you will see meteors appear cheerful in all directions. This will make it easier to distinguish between random meteors from a quarter and other sources,” the group explained in a blog post.
What to expect from the first meteor shower of 2021
This year’s show will not be as light as in previous years due to the moonlight, however, according to Aquaweather, about 100 meteors orbit the sky at its peak every hour. However, the outlet reported that it is likely that people will see only a quarter of the action.
Next year’s fountain is expected to be even better. The American Meteorological Society said the peak is forecast for the 2022 quarter due to the absence of the moon at 21:00 UT on January 3rd. That time will pick up Sky Geyser’s audience in Asia.
