Up to 60 meteors per hour could blaze across the night sky as the annual Quadrantids meteor shower reaches its peak this week.
The meteor shower occurs every year in late December and early January as the Earth passes through the dusty trail of Asteroid 2003 EH1.
It marks the first meteor shower of 2020 and a new decade. However, unlike other meteor showers the Quadrantids tends to peak only on one or two nights rather than three or four.
This year, it is set to peak on the night of Friday, January 3 and the morning of Saturday, January 4 giving skywatchers their best chance of spotting a shooting star.
In previous years, the shower has produced between 50 and 100 meteors an hour, but astronomers at the Royal Observatory Greenwich in London estimate we’ll see around 60 per hour.
Sky & Telescope predicts that the three best meteor showers — the Quadrantids (peaking on January 4th!), Perseids and Geminids — will all have strong showings this year.https://t.co/wM1YEVt9gr pic.twitter.com/k329fDThdM
— Sky & Telescope (@SkyandTelescope) December 27, 2019
FOR THIS 2020 ✨
– Quadrantids Meteor Shower
– Lyrid Meteor Shower
– Perseid Meteor Shower
– Orionids Meteor Shower
– Leonids Meteor Shower
– Geminid Meteor Shower
– Series of Supermoons
– Lunar Eclipse
– Blue moon
And a lot mooore
2020 is such a blast in the sky 💖✨
— O u r a n i a ✨ (@PolenFallen) January 1, 2020
When is the best time to see the Quadrantids meteor shower?
Getting the best sight of a meteor shower is down to a lot of factors: Location, weather and luck to name just a few.
But in order to maximise your chances of seeing them, the best time to get outside is just before sunrise on January 4. The International Meteor Organisation says viewing will be best just before 8am.
As ever, finding space away from light pollution will give you your best chance. Generally speaking, your eyes need around 30 minutes to acclimatise to the darkness.
‘For the best conditions, you want to find a safe location away from street lights and other sources of light pollution,’ says the Royal Observatory.
‘The meteors can be seen in all parts of the sky, so it’s good to be in a wide-open space where you can scan the night sky with your eyes.’