Those who like to welcome the new year with celestial doings are in luck. An annual meteor shower that NASA considers to be one of the best of the year will peak overnight on Jan. 2. Those who want to see the Quadrantids should head out Monday night or in the predawn hours of Tuesday, per Live Science. At its peak, the shower should deliver an average of 80 meteors per hour. They should appear in all parts of the sky, though Live Science notes that they "seem to originate from between the constellations of Bootes and Draco, not far from the handle of the Big Dipper." NASA has some guidance:
- "To view the Quadrantids, find an area well away from the city or street lights. Come prepared for winter weather with a sleeping bag, blanket, or lawn chair. Lie flat on your back with your feet facing northeast and look up, taking in as much of the sky as possible. In less than 30 minutes in the dark, your eyes will adapt and you will begin to see meteors. Be patient—the show will last until dawn, so you have plenty of time to catch a glimpse."
Unlike most meteor showers, the Quadrantids are the debris of an asteroid (2003 EH1), not a comet, notes NASA. (More
meteor shower stories.)
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