With lots of New Year’s Eve celebrations and fireworks displays either back or completely shut down this week, flashy fans events taking place in the night sky may be disappointing. But all is not lost. Of course, nature has its own lights for us to enjoy as we head into 2021. It comes in the form of the Quadrantids annual shower, which arrives tonight. Here’s how to see it.
What are the Quadrantids?
Technically, the Quadrantids meteor shower started last year – December 28, 2020, in particular – but they will go tonight. And what’s so special about these meteors? As well as being first year, they are also among the best, according to NASA, thanks for the quick entry (at a rate of 60 to 200 meteors each times), and because they are bright fireballs that often come on colored trails.
How to watch the Quadrantids at the highest level
Like most celestial events, it plans a bit to capture the Quadrantids at the highest level. While there are a lot of meteor displays on it peak lasting a day or two, this one is over in a few hours – so it’s important that your time is right.
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There is also a challenge from the a waning gibbous moon, which will be 84% full tonight, making it harder to see the less visible meteors. (While the Quadrantids include bright fireballs means some should be visible even with the moon clear.)
There is no set timetable for the peak tonight, although experts believe it will be similar between 2 am and morning on the early morning of 3 January. The Quadrantids are found in the Northern Hemisphere, especially from the western United States. To find out more about the Quadrantids – including this year’s events and how they will be affected by tonight’s weather—EarthSky has you covered.