First Meteor Shower Of 2021 On New Year Weekend, As Quadrantids Light Up The Sky
The Quadrantids meteor shower will light up the skies from January 2 to January 3. The annual meteor shower returns each year between December 28 and January 12. The meteors get their name from Quadrans Muralis a deceased constellation from which they appear to radiate.
2021 is starting off with a spectacle to behold for astronomy lovers as the first weekend of the year will see one of the ¡°best annual meteor showers¡± as per NASA. Quadrantids meteor showers will light up the skies from January 2 to January 3.
(Representative Image: NASA)
NASA explains the origins of the Quadrantids in a note, stating that the annual meteor shower returns each year between December 28 and January 12. Known for their bright fireball meteors that persist longer than an average meteor streak, the meteors are believed to originate from a small asteroid 2003 EH1.
Quadrantids Meteor Shower
1003 EH1 was discovered by the Lowell Observatory Near-Earth Object Search in March 2003. NASA says that the asteroid takes 5.52 years to orbit the sun once. Scientists speculate that the asteroid is either a "dead comet" or a new kind of object known as a "rock comet."
The meteors get their name from, "Quadrans Muralis", a deceased constellation from which they appear to radiate from. Though the constellation is not the actual source of the meteors.
"An alternative name for the Quadrantids is the Bootids since the meteors appear to radiate from the modern constellation of Bootes," NASA says. "Even though the constellation may no longer be recognized, it was considered a constellation long enough to give the meteor shower its name."
Quadrantids are known for bright and strong meteor showers for a short period of time. This year, the meteors will be seen briefly between Saturday night and Sunday morning. As per NASA, around 60 to 200 meteors can be seen per hour traveling at 41 kilometers per second under perfect conditions.
NASA
The time frame of the shower, however, will remain limited to around six hours. "The reason the peak is so short is due to the shower's thin stream of particles and the fact that the Earth crosses the stream at a perpendicular angle," NASA says.
Quadrantids Meteor Shower India Peak Time
It is believed that the Quadrantid meteor shower will peak on Sunday at around 19:30 IST. Those interested in viewing the celestial rain are advised to move away from light to observe the sky. Clouds and a near full Moon can possibly lower the visibility of the meteor shower.
