Particle.news
Download on the App Store
3 ARTICLES
·
4h ago

Quadrantid Meteor Shower Peaks Tonight Under Bright Moon

A near‑full moon will mute the display for most observers, with only the brighter fireballs likely to stand out.

A meteor streaks past stars in January 2014 during the annual Quadrantid meteor shower in China.
An Earth-grazing Quadrantid pierces the night sky on January 3rd, 2025. Credit: Eliot Herman.
Image

Overview

  • Forecasts place the shower’s brief maximum within a few hours around 03:00 UTC on Jan. 3 (10 p.m. ET on Jan. 2), with European longitudes slightly favored.
  • Moonlight is expected to reduce visible rates to fewer than 10 meteors per hour, compared with ideal peaks near 120 and typical dark‑sky rates around 25.
  • Best viewing is in the Northern Hemisphere from midnight to pre‑dawn at a dark, unobstructed site after about 30 minutes of dark adaptation.
  • The Quadrantids often generate bright fireballs, which may still be visible even under strong lunar glare.
  • The shower’s debris stream originates from asteroid 2003 EH1, and although the radiant sits near the obsolete Quadrans Muralis between Boötes and Draco, meteors can appear anywhere in the sky.