Quadrantid Meteor Shower Adds Spark to New Year's Start
Quadrantid meteors stream from a point in the sky below the handle of the Big Dipper. The shower peaks just before dawn on Sunday morning, Jan. 3. Stellarium The Quadrantid meteor shower provides a dash of celestial fireworks to spice up the start of the new year. This annual shower is unusual in having a narrow peak of intense activity that lasts just 6 hours. If the peak occurs between 2 and 6 a.m. local time under a dark, moonless sky rural observers can see more than 100 meteors per hour. Last year's "Quads" hit max under dark skies over North America. This year's peak takes place around 8:30 a.m. Central Time on Sunday, Jan. 3, at or after sunrise for the eastern two-thirds of the continent. If this is where you live then about 25 meteors per hour will brighten the pre-dawn sky. A NASA camera captures a bright Quadrantid fireball. NASA, MSFC, MEO Meanwhile, skywatchers on the West Coast, Alaska and locations further west are better positioned to witness the pea