The Quadrantid Meteor Shower is happening at the start of 2022, with its peak hours scheduled between Sunday and Monday. This celestial show will let fans watch up to 120 meteors per hour. To make things even better, an online stream for the event is also available!
According to CNN, the Quadrantid meteor shower will be a brief but intense celestial show. It is one of the strongest meteor showers, producing 50 to 120 visible meteors per hour, depending on the location. Experts list a few important reminders of why space fans should watch out for the event.
Quadrantid Meteor Shower Time: Event Highlights
Although Quadrantid is one of the strongest meteor showers, it is also notoriously hard to observe due to the January weather. But this year is a little special because a waxing crescent moon phase will soon render the moon invisible for the event, allowing peak visibility for the first time in a few years.
As previously mentioned, a lot of meteors should be visible on an hourly basis. However, experts also predict that a few fireballs might drop during the meteor shower.
The meteor shower will peak for only six hours. It will happen between late night Sunday and dawn on Monday in the Northern Hemisphere. Note that residents in Easter Asia can watch the event starting 8:40 PM UT. Some residents of higher-latitude places across Europe might also be able to see it, but visibility is a lot less accurate. Unfortunately, Quadrantids aren't visible in the Southern Hemisphere, so fans might have to resort to the online livestream.
Quadrantid Meteor Shower Online Tools
Fans who want to watch the online show are recommended to use two online tools. These are Time and Date and The Virtual Telescope Project.
Time and Date will provide an accurate viewing schedule for the Quadrantid Meteor Shower. This online tool predicts important factors like weather and cloud coverage for optimal visibility. Users can adjust the settings to fit in their respective locations. This tool also gives out tips for viewing the meteors.
The second online tool is The Virtual Telescope Project. This is a website that livestreams major celestial events. At the time of writing, its main page featured the Quadrantid Meteor Shower, and its livestream is scheduled to start on Monday at 11:45 UTC. The YouTube video of the event is embedded below.
Note that a playback of the event will also be available after the livestream. This should give fans who might miss out the event an opportunity to watch the amazing show at the time of their convenience.
How to Watch Quadrantid Meteor Shower
Fans who want to watch the event live are recommended to follow a few tips for optimal stargazing:
- Drive away from the urban area or any place littered with city lights. Find a completely dark location unaffected by light pollution.
- Choose a spot with a wide view of the sky, like the mountainside or the beachside.
- Bring a chair or blanket to watch the sky straight up easily.
- Take 20 to 30 minutes to adjust vision to the darkness. For this duration, do not turn on or look at a smartphone.
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