ENID, OK - The annual Quadrantid meteor shower is set to peak during the early hours of Friday, January 3 before dawn. That’s when people in the Northern Hemisphere will have the best chance of seeing the shooting stars, though the shower is already underway. The celestial show will stay active until Jan. 16.
The Quadrantid meteor shower is caused by debris from an asteroid called 2003 EH1, which takes more than 5 years to complete one orbit around the sun.
The Quadrantids are known for producing brighter, and sometimes colorful, fireball meteors because they originate from larger pieces of debris.
During the shower’s peak early Friday, the crescent moon will already have set, so the shooting stars won’t be at risk of getting overshadowed by bright moonlight.
The Quadrantids will be best seen from the mid-northern to the far-northern latitudes Friday before sunlight begins to appear. For ideal viewing, bundle up and head to a spot away from city lights, with a clear and unobstructed view of the sky.
There’s no need for special equipment, meteors can be viewed with the naked eye.
Under clear and dark conditions, people could spot around 120 meteors per hour during the shower’s peak, according to NASA.
