Stunning as always but this year particularly special, let’s prepare for the wonder of Quadrantids. The shooting starsthe first of the year, will have their expected peak on the night between 3 and 4 January in the almost total absence of the Moon which will reach First Quarter on January 6th. Let’s prepare the desires for this year that has just begun!
As he explains EarthSkythe meteor shower of Quadrantids it is one of the few each year with a narrow peak, in this case lasting only about 6 hours. Their radiant, or the point from which shooting stars appear to depart, rises north-northeast after midnight and is highest before dawn. Located in the now obsolete constellation Quadrans Muralisnowadays we see it near the constellation of Booteshence the second name Bootids (on the map the sky of January 4, 2025 at approximately 4.00 am).
The swarm is truly gorgeous: under a dark moonless sky, when the radiant is high in the sky, the Quadrantids they can (even if briefly) produce over 100 meteors per hour.
Let’s prepare many wishes and Happy 2025 to everyone!
Sources: EarthSky / UAI / UAI meteors
