How to watch the Quadrantid 2021 meteor shower light up the skies this weekend

The new year has finally arrived and 2021 kicks off with a beautiful light show for those who wish to get out early in the morning on Sunday to see the Quadrantid meteor shower. The quadrantids are not as well known as the Perseids or Leonids, but they have the potential to be one of the heaviest meteor showers of the year.

The challenge is that these shooting stars and bright fireballs are in danger of being swept away by the bright moon, which will not be far from its full phase on Saturday night and Sunday morning. In addition, the peak of the Quadrantids is quite narrow, with a window of only a few hours rather than a few days like other showers.

But with a little planning, you might be able to catch the display, which is known to produce over 100 meteors per hour, including a fair amount of shiny fireballs.

The International Meteor Organization predicts that the quadrantids will officially peak within an hour of sunrise on the Pacific coast of much of North America, or a few hours after sunrise on the east coast. However, such predictions are not always correct, so your best bet is to simply venture out somewhere between around 2 a.m. and sunrise on Sunday.

You’ll want to avoid light pollution as much as possible and find a place to look with good weather, a wide view of the sky, and the ability to focus your gaze away from the bright moon as much as you can. Keep in mind that the show is generally best in the Northern Hemisphere, where you’ll probably want to band together to brave the winter temperatures in most places.

Quadrantids will appear to emanate from the region of the sky near Polaris, the North Star, but will pass through all parts of the sky.

That’s because what’s really happening is Earth is drifting through a cloud of debris linked to asteroid 2003EH1, which could have been a comet. While the origins of these meteors may be somewhat mysterious, they will nonetheless collide with our atmosphere and burn dramatically.

Enjoy the first big night sky show of 2021!