Celestial Fireworks to Kick Off 2016

Barely three weeks after the Geminid meteor shower, which peaked on December 14 and put on what some described as the best meteor shower of the year, another display of “shooting stars” is about to light up the sky. Although not as intense as the Geminids or their summertime counterpart the Perseids, the Quadrantids are one of the better sky spectacles of any year—weather (and moonlight and local lighting conditions) permitting.

Caused by dust particles from an object tentatively identified as an asteroid or perhaps an extinct comet, the Quadrantid shower was first noted in 1825 and has a characteristically short, sharp peak lasting only a few hours. In contrast, the activity of other showers may stretch over several days. So, mark your calendars!

Astronomers have calculated the next Quadrantid peak for midnight, Pacific time, on the night of January 3–4, favoring North American observers. Two days after last quarter, the Moon is tremendously fainter than when full, and its light much less intrusive. The meteors associated with this shower appear to radiate from near the end of the Big Dipper’s handle—an area that was once occupied by the obsolete constellation Quadrans Muralis. Under good conditions, observers might expect to see 15–20 meteors per hour, though some forecasts suggest 25–40.

Can’t get out (or stay awake long enough) to see the show? Slooh.com will host a live webcast of the shower from various locations, starting at 5:00 p.m. Pacific Standard Time on Sunday, January 3. Until then, enjoy our video describing “How to Watch a Meteor Shower”!

Image: Luis Argerich /Flickr