Stargazers will be able to see a Quadrantid meteor shower this weekend, which illuminates the sky with up to 200 shooting stars every hour.
The annual meteor shower takes place every year between December 28 and January 12, but in 2021 the best views in the UK will be after dark on January 2 and 3.
Quadrantids are known to produce between 50 and 200 meteors per hour on a clear night and are described by NASA as one of the best annual meteor showers.
Meteors are pieces of rocky debris that enter the Earth’s atmosphere at up to 40 miles per second, leaving streaks of light that we call “shooting stars.”
Quadrantides in the Khingan Mountains of Northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province, January 4, 2019
Quadrantids are best known for their bright “fireball” meteors that leave large bursts of light and color that persist longer than average meteor stripes.
This is because fireballs come from larger particles of material, according to NASA.
Most meteor showers have a two-day peak, but quadrants have a “peak” window of only six hours.
“The reason the tip is so short is because of the thin flow of particles in the shower and the fact that the Earth crosses the stream at a perpendicular angle,” says NASA.
Quadrantids are best seen in the northern hemisphere because their radiant point – the point where a meteor appears to come from – is so far north on the dome of the sky.
The easiest way to find the shower is to look north for the Great Search. Then follow the “arc” of the Great Chariot handle across the sky to the giant red star Arcturus – it anchors the bottom of the constellation Bootes, where meteor showers will appear
A meteorite hits stars during the annual Quadrantid meteor shower in Qingdao, Shandong Province, January 4, 2014
According to the International Meteorological Organization (IMO), the peak is expected to occur around 14:30 GMT on Sunday, January 3.
But exactly when it will reach its peak is usually difficult to predict.
“This prediction is not set in stone,” Robert Lunsford, a longtime meteorite observer with the American Meteor Society, told Space.com.
“I haven’t caught him yet.” Act the way you want.
If the IMO estimate is correct, people in North America – especially on the west coast and Pacific islands – will have the best view this year, thanks to the time zone.
This is because Quadrantids are best viewed at night and in premature hours.
However, people in Europe may still be able to get a view over the weekend, as long as the weather is clear.
Rain of quadrantid meteorites in the Khingan Mountains of Heilongjiang Province in northeast China
Based on IMO estimates, the Quadrantids could offer Europeans decent views both Saturday night through Sunday morning and Sunday evening through Monday morning.
“The eager observer should target the nights on both sides – January 2-3 (as meteor rain accumulates) or January 3-4 (as it decreases),” said Tania de Sales Marques, astronomer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich.
However, the waning moon will remain for most of the night, “being a source of bright light in the sky that will make it harder to spot meteors,” she said.
The quadrants reward the most patient of the stars, according to NASA.
“To view the Quadrantids, find an area away from city or street lights,” says the space agency.
“Come prepared for the winter with a sleeping bag, a blanket or a lawn chair.
“Lie on your back, with your feet facing northeast, and look up, taking as much of the sky as possible.
“In less than 30 minutes in the dark, your eyes will adjust and you will start to see meteors.
“Be patient – the show will last until dawn, so you have plenty of time to take a look.”
The easiest way to find the shower is to look north for Carul Mare – the distinctive group of seven bright stars and a useful navigation tool.
Landscape of Quadrantid meteor shower in the Khingan Sea Mountains, Heilongjiang Province in northeast China, January 4, 2019
Then follow the “arc” of the Great Chariot handle across the sky to the giant red star Arcturus – it anchors the bottom of the constellation Bootes, where meteor showers will appear.
Quadrantids derive their name from the constellation Quadrans Muralis – mural dial, which was created by French astronomer Jerome Lalande in 1795.
They come from a small asteroid, called 2003 EH1, with a diameter of only about three kilometers.
2003 EH1 was discovered on March 6, 2003 by the Lowell Near-Earth Object Search Observatory (LONEOS).
The asteroid takes an impressive 5.52 years to orbit the sun once.
Studies suggest that this body could very well be a piece of a comet that broke up a few centuries ago.