The sky will have a New Year’s gift for stargazers — the first meteor shower of 2024.
The American Meteor Society said the Quadrantid meteor shower will peak overnight Wednesday into Thursday. The meteor shower started on Dec. 26 and will continue until Jan. 16.
The shower is considered the quickest but strongest meteor shower of the year, according to CNN.
Short it is — the peak lasting about six hours, compared to the two days other meteor showers have.
NASA said it is only a couple of hours because the Quadrantids have a thin stream of particles and the Earth passes through it at a perpendicular angle.
The best time to see the shower is from 4 a.m. to 10 a.m. ET — the early time for the East Coast while the later lines up for Alaska and Hawaii — but they will start being visible a few hours before that. The American Meteor Society said to look up at the night sky from about 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. local time.
NASA said that during the peak viewing hours, you should see about 100 meteors an hour, including some fireballs that last longer than normal meteor streaks.
You’ll want to look north-to-northeast with the moon at your back, watching for at least an hour. The moon will be bright at about 51% full, so you will want to try to block its glare with a building or a tree situated in front of it. You’ll also want to have the least amount of light pollution, meaning that if you live in a city you may have to drive out of the area for the best view. Then, once you get your perfect spot, put down the phone and let your eyes adjust to the darkness for at least 20 minutes.
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