The first meteor shower of 2021 will light up the night sky on New Years weekend

Once in a lifetime comet and the epic meeting of Jupiter and Saturn for the great conjunction, 2020 was a great year for celestial phenomena. But 2021 starts off strong with the peak of the Quadrantid meteor shower, which NASA calls one of the “best annual meteor showers,” from Jan. 2 to Jan. 3.

What are the quadrantids?

According to NASA, the Quadrantids return each year between December 28 and January 12. First seen in 1825, they come from the small asteroid 1003 EH1, which was discovered in March 2003 by the Lowell Observatory Near-Earth Object Search.

Meteors appear to be beaming from a constellation that no longer exists called “Quadrans Muralis”, but this constellation is not the actual source of the meteors.

“Another name for the Quadrantids is the Bootids since meteors appear to radiate from the modern constellation Bootes,” says NASA. “Even though the constellation can no longer be recognized, it was considered to be a constellation long enough to give its name to the meteor shower.

The Quadrantids mark the last meteor shower of the season, ahead of several months with little celestial activity. According to the American Meteor Society, it has the potential to be the strongest shower of the year, along with the Perseids and Geminids.

During the brief window from Saturday night to Sunday morning, there is a chance of spotting between 60 and 200 meteors per hour traveling at 25.5 miles per second. Quadrantids are known for their bright meteors, which are larger explosions of light and color that last longer than the typical meteor series.

Despite the potential of the shower, it will be brief: the maximum activity window is only six hours.

“The reason the peak is so short is due to the thin jet of particles from the shower and the fact that the Earth is passing through the current at a perpendicular angle,” says NASA.

How to watch the Quadrantid meteor shower

The quadrantids are best viewed from the northern hemisphere, but poor weather conditions in early January also make viewing more difficult. Even though the sky is clear of clouds, a nearly full waning gibbous moon will continue to shine throughout the weekend, making it difficult to spot meteors.

Unlike many other popular meteor showers, which peak over multiple nights, timing your quadrantid sighting is essential to spotting meteors. According to the International Meteor Organization, the peak is expected to occur around 2:30 p.m. UTC Sunday – meaning the best chance of seeing the shower in North America will be in the hours leading up to dawn on Sunday morning.

Like all meteor showers, you’ll want to get away from all of the bright city lights for better viewing, lying on your back, and giving your eyes about 30 minutes to adjust to the dark. Dress for winter and be patient – the show will last until dawn.

After the Quadrantids, another meteor shower will not occur for more than three months, when the Lyrids and Eta Aquariids return at the end of April.