Quadrantid Meteor Shower

Unlike other meteor showers that tend to stay at their peak for about two days the peak period of the quadrantids only lasts a few hours.

Quadrantid meteor shower. A meteor shower is a celestial event in which a number of meteors are observed to radiate or originate from one point in the night sky called radiant these meteors are caused by streams of cosmic debris called meteoroids entering earth s atmosphere at extremely high speeds on parallel trajectories. It is possible that 2003 eh1 is a dead comet or a new kind of object being discussed by astronomers sometimes called a rock comet. Asteroid 2003 eh 1.

We ll have moon free skies during the predawn hours on january 4 for this year s peak expected late night january 3 until. Most meteor showers have a two day peak which makes catching sight of these other meteors much more possible. The quadrantids qua are a january meteor shower the zenithal hourly rate zhr of this shower can be as high as that of two other reliably rich meteor showers the perseids in august and the geminids in december yet quadrantid meteors are not seen as often as meteors in these other two showers because the peak intensity is exceedingly sharp sometimes lasting only hours.

In 2012 forecasters expect the shower to peak around 07 20 ut 02 20 am est on wednesday january 4. The 2020 quadrantid meteor shower will peak overnight on thursday jan. The quadrantids peak on the other hand is much shorter only a few hours.

The peak is brief typically lasting no more than an hour or so and it does not always occur at the. 3 into the early morning hours of friday jan. Meteor shower calendar 2020 2021.

Asteroid 2003 eh1 takes 5 52 years to orbit the sun once. Unlike most meteor showers which originate from comets the quadrantids have been found to originate from an asteroid. The quadrantids which peak during early january each year are considered to be one of the best annual meteor showers.

The meteor has a shorter peak than most just a few hours compared to. The quadrantids are usually active between the end of december and the second week of january and peak around january 3 4. Dark skies should allow for a nice look at the.