Favourable Quadrantids
BEST TIME TO SEE: 00:00 UT to 06:00 UT on 4 January
The Quadrantid meteor shower peaks on the night of 3/4 January. This is one of the most prolific of the annual showers, with a zenithal hourly rate (ZHR) of 120 meteors per hour. The reason Quadrantids don’t get as much press as the August Perseids or December Geminids is twofold. First, by 3/4 January most people are experiencing a post-festive period ethusiasm defecit. Also, the period of peak activity is narrow. The Quadrantids are active from 28 December to 12 January but rates outside of the peak period are low: typically, there’s a four-hour window when rates are above half the maximum value.
The shower gets its name from the now defunct constellation of Quadrans Muralis. In modern times, the radiant at peak activity lies within the northern boundary of Boötes, the Herdsman.
This year’s peak is expected at 02:00 UT on 4 January and, with a new Moon on 6 January, conditions couldn’t be better. The radiant position is circumpolar from the UK, but only starts to reach a decent altitude after midnight. At 02:00 UT it will be 35° above the northeast horizon.
Observe the shower from a site well away from any light sources and use something like a sunlounger so you can comfortably look up at an altitude of around 60°. If you can manage it, a session from midnight through to 04:00 UT will deliver the best results.