Here are All the Details About the Year’s First Meteor Shower

As the year begins, a celestial event is unfolding for all the space enthusiasts. Get ready to witness the first meteor shower of 2024, the dazzling Quadrantids, reaching its peak between January 3rd and 4th. Space.com mentioned: “Up to 120 shooting stars per hour could be visible during a brief peak of the Quadrantid meteor shower — the year’s first meteor shower, coming to North America Jan. 3 and 4.”

Here are all the details about the amazing celestial event. 

What are Quadrantids? 

NASA mentions: “The Quadrantids, which peak during early-January each year, are considered to be one of the best annual meteor showers. Most meteor showers have a two-day peak, which makes catching sight of these other meteors much more possible.” 

“The Quadrantids peak, on the other hand, is much shorter – only a few hours. (The reason the peak is so short is due to the shower’s thin stream of particles and the fact that the Earth crosses the stream at a perpendicular angle.) During its peak, 60 to as many as 200 Quadrantid meteors can be seen per hour under perfect conditions,” it added. 

In its essence, the Quadrantids are one of the most reliable meteor showers, known for their fast and bright shooting stars. These meteors originate from the dust trail left behind by the asteroid 2003 EH1, discovered in 2003. As Earth passes through this debris field, tiny particles collide with our atmosphere, creating the mesmerizing streaks of light we see as meteors.

Source: NASA 

Where and How to Watch Quadrantids Meteor Shower? 

The Quadrantids peak is predicted to occur on January 4th at 7:53 AM Eastern Standard Time (12:53 PM UTC). However, the best viewing window actually starts in the pre-dawn hours of January 3rd, around 4:53 AM EST (9:53 AM UTC), and lasts until sunrise.

The shower’s radiant point, the area in the sky where the meteors appear to originate, lies in the constellation Boötes near the Big Dipper. However, due to the shower’s fast speed, the meteors can appear anywhere in the night sky.

Space.com mentions: “This year, the predicted peak is 7:53 a.m. EST (12:53 GMT) on Jan. 4, according to EarthSky. That makes the pre-dawn hours — from around 4:53 a.m. EST to dawn — the best time to observe the shower from North America. Those in western regions of the continent will have the best chance to watch for Quadrantids earlier at night.”

For India, the shower’s peak is technically at 4:00 PM IST on January 4th, skygazers in New Delhi won’t be able to see the action until the radiant point, the area in the sky where the meteors appear to originate, rises above the eastern horizon around 12:07 AM on both January 4th and 5th.

This means the best viewing opportunities in New Delhi will be:

• Around dawn on January 4th: Look east towards the constellation Boötes, near the Big Dipper, for meteors streaking across the sky.
• After the radiant point rises on January 5th: Enjoy the meteor shower throughout the night, with optimal viewing from midnight to sunrise (around 6:46 AM IST).