It's a new year, which means that there are a whole lot of celestial events ahead of us. However, we might not have to wait so long before seeing an astronomical scene as the Quadrantid meteor shower is set to take place earlier this month.
Quadrantid Meteor Shower
The showers will happen within the first week of January, but the best days to observe them would be between the 3rd and the 4th. On the last day particularly, the shower's peak is expected to be around 12:53 UTC.
As a possibly great start for 2024, the American Meteor Society believes that it could be the best meteor shower of the year, considering that they have a powerful peak. That means that you'll see more shooting stars and each will be brighter than average.
While the meteor shower is potentially the brightest with approximately 100 meteors per hour in good conditions, the Quadrantid is also known to have a short peak period. According to Interesting Engineering, the peak duration could last for just about six hours.
Ideally, the best way to watch the celestial event is by reducing as much light pollution as you can. But, there's only so much you can do. The event falls under a last-quarter moon, which means that the moon's light might interfere with visibility.
Not to worry, since it has been established that the Quadrantids are expected to be brighter, it might just be enough to outshine the moon. NASA expressed that the Quadrantids are fireballs, which are "larger explosions of light and color that can persist longer than an average meteor streak."
Spectators from North America are lucky enough that the peak of the event is during pre-dawn houses, which is ideal for the activity. The best we can hope for is a cloudless sky so that we'll have a wider area for stargazing.
Best Way to Stargaze
Making sure you're in the right place is just as important as knowing that it's the right time to wait and look for shooting stars. These factors will greatly affect whether or not you'll see any at all, which is why you have to know the basic practices.
For one, being in a city is not the ideal condition for stargazing, as light pollution will obscure visibility. If you can, try to head to rural areas that have fewer buildings. If you can't then go to parks or vacant lands if you're allowed.
Being in an elevated place will also help, as there will be fewer objects that will block your view like trees or posts. If you can get to rural areas, you should time your travel hours and hike to higher places. If you're in the city, your best bet is the rooftop.
Since it's earlier in the year, there's still a chill in the air, which means that you should also prepare the proper attire for it, especially since you'll be stargazing at night or early morning. A hot cup of coffee could even make the experience all the better.
