Quadrantids

meteor shower · January · astronomy · space

Peak in early January. The Quadrantids meteor shower happens in early January every year, when Earth passes through debris left by a comet. Unlike many other meteor showers that last for weeks, the Quadrantids peak can last only a few hours, making them tricky to catch.

Faint but prolific. Even though Quadrantid meteors are quite faint and hard to see, they can be as numerous as the famous Perseid meteors in August or the Geminid meteors in December. On a good night, you might see hundreds of meteors per hour at the peak, but you'll need dark skies away from city lights.

Radiant in Boötes. The meteors appear to come from the constellation Boötes, which is located in the northern sky. This is called the radiant, and it's where all the meteors seem to fan out from, though they're actually coming from many different directions in space.

Narrow peak window. What makes the Quadrantids special and difficult is their incredibly narrow peak. While most meteor showers peak over several days or weeks, the Quadrantids can peak in just a few hours, so timing is everything if you want to see them.

Mean magnitude range. Quadrantid meteors have mean apparent magnitudes between 3.0 and 6.0, which means they're dimmer than the brightest stars you can see. You'll need a dark location away from lights and a little patience to spot them, but the reward is worth it.