Stargazers can have a treat tonight if the skies are clear. The Quadrantid meteor shower is set to hit overnight giving people a six-hour display featuring up to 120 fireball meteors every hour.
According to the Royal Museums Greenwich the meteors have been around since December 26 and will continue until January 12. However the “blue meteors” will peak tonight.
It says: “The Quadrantid meteor shower will peak on 4 January 2025. The total period of this shower is from 26 December 2024 – 12 January 2025.
“The Quadrantid meteor shower is among the strongest and most consistent meteor showers of the year, with a maximum rate of 120 meteors per hour on a clear night. Meteors are pieces of debris which enter our planet’s atmosphere at speeds of up to 70 kilometres per second, vaporising and causing the streaks of light we call meteors.”
The Quadrantids are known for their sharp peak which lasts a few hours. They are visible to the naked eye if it is a clear night and will appear “blue” in the sky with with fine trains.
The RMG has set out the best way to see the phenomenon. It says: “Hunting for meteors, like the rest of astronomy, is a waiting game, so it’s best to bring a comfy chair to sit on and to wrap up warm as you could be outside for a while. They can be seen with the naked eye so there’s no need for binoculars or a telescope, though you will need to allow your eyes to adjust to the dark for at least 15 minutes beforehand.
“For the best conditions, you want to find a safe location away from street lights and other sources of light pollution. The meteors can be seen in all parts of the sky, so it’s ideal to go to a wide open space where you can scan the night sky with your eyes.”
And there’s good news for those wanting to catch a glimpse as the moon will not be bright in the sky coming just days after the new moon which was a “black moon” and not visible to people on earth. The RGM said: “In 2025, the maximum of the shower occurs when the Moon will be a waxing crescent and it will set below the horizon at around 10pm, so moonlight won’t interfere with seeing the shower at the peak.”
The Quadrantids shower gets its name from the former constellation Quadrans Muralis which is now part of Boötes. Observers in the Northern Hemisphere are the best suited to view the Quadrantids.
Unlike other meteor showers that tend to stay at their peak for about two days, the peak period of the Quadrantids is only a few hours long. People are expected to have just around six hours to make the most of the view.