COLUMBUS, Ohio — Sky gazers are in for a celestial treat as the annual Quadrantid meteor shower peaks Wednesday night into Thursday morning. Earth’s journey through perihelion, its closest point to the Sun, coincides with a stream of ice and dust from a potentially extinct or shattered comet, creating the dazzling display.
Traveling at over 144,000 kilometers per hour, meteoroids collide with Earth, compressing air molecules and generating glowing streaks of light, known as meteors. The Quadrantid meteor shower, active from December 28 to January 12, reaches its zenith on the night of January 3-4, producing over 100 meteors per hour.
Named after the now-defunct Quadrans Muralis constellation, located between Ursa Major, Boötes, and Draco, the shower was first discovered in the 1820s. Despite Quadrans Muralis fading into obscurity in 1922, the meteor shower’s name endured.
The shower’s peak, lasting approximately six hours, boasts up to 120 meteors per hour. However, due to the Last Quarter Moon rising after midnight on January 3-4, observers may see around 25 brighter meteors per hour. NASA suggests continued chances to spot Quadrantid meteors until January 12.
Optimal viewing conditions are crucial, and despite some cloud cover, mainland Nova Scotia, northwestern Ontario, eastern Manitoba, and southern Alberta are expected to have the best visibility. Alternatively, a live stream from the Subaru Telescope in Hawai’i offers a virtual viewing experience.
Notably, the Quadrantids differ from typical meteor showers, originating from a rocky asteroid, possibly 2003 EH1. Astronomers link this unique source to the shower’s distinct characteristics, challenging the common association between meteor showers and icy comets.
