This is the largest of the annual meteor showers, even bigger than the Perseids.
With an average of 100 meteors descending each hour, this is a spectacular winter light show. Located high in the northern sky, this event is for those of us living in the northern hemisphere. This year, given the unusually warm weather, it may be possible to spend time outdoors between dusk and midnight, when this meteor shower is at its peak.
Meteor showers are also called shooting stars, because they appear to shoot outward from a fixed place in the sky. They are typically named after the constellation where this happens.
The Quadrantids have an unusual history. In 1795 a French astronomer named what he thought was a new constellation Quadrans Muralis. In the 1830’s a meteor shower near that constellation was named the Quadrantid meteor shower. About 100 years later a group of astronomers created the official list of constellations we use today; Quadrans Muralis was not one of the 88 named.
There is still some debate today about the source of this winter meteor shower. It could be one of several comets or bits of ancient space debris.
If you are lucky enough to have a clear night sky, grab a lawn chair and set it up so your head is oriented to northeast and your feet to the southwest, lie back and enjoy the show.
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