Overview
- The maximum is expected around 22:00 on January 3, with the concentrated high lasting only a few hours, according to guidance cited from the International Meteor Organization.
- Bright moonlight will wash out most faint meteors, so observers should expect far fewer visible streaks than the roughly 80 per hour possible under ideal dark-sky conditions.
- Viewing improves from a dark site away from city lights, with warm clothing, a reclining position, and patience to let eyes adapt.
- The radiant location is not essential to find, as meteors can appear anywhere in the sky even though the source point lies in northeastern Boötes near the Big Dipper’s handle.
- The shower’s name comes from the obsolete constellation Quadrans Muralis, and it is also referred to as the Bootids.