Overview
- The annual Quadrantids reach a brief six-hour maximum around Jan. 2–3, with the peak favoring Europe and predawn chances in North America.
- Because the Moon is nearly full, observers should expect fewer than about 10 visible meteors per hour, mostly occasional bright fireballs.
- Best viewing is from the Northern Hemisphere in the hours before dawn, using buildings or hills to block the Moon and scanning wide swaths of sky.
- The stream originates from asteroid 2003 EH1, likely an extinct or rock comet, with the radiant near the Big Dipper’s handle in Boötes.
- The weekend also brings Earth to perihelion on Jan. 3, a notable yet separate celestial milestone.