New Delhi: The Quadrantid meteor showers will peak on January 4, and will be a treat to the eyes of observers. The Quarantids, unlike other meteor showers, stay at their peak for only a few hours.
The Quadrantids could be one of 2022's best meteor showers, according to the Royal Astronomical Society.Stargazers living in the Northern Hemisphere can enjoy this captivating phenomenon.
As the Quadrantid showers reach their peak, stargazers can see more than five meteors an hour in the dark night sky.
When To Watch The Quadrantids?
The Quadrantid showers are predicted to peak on January 3, at 20:40 GMT (2:10 am IST on January 4), according to the Royal Astronomical Society.
The SETI Institute tweeted that Dr Peter Jenniskens, a senior research scientist at the institute, had determined that the Quadrantids are caused by near-Earth asteroid (196256) 2003 EH1.
Due to friction with the air, the pieces of debris heat up, and are destroyed in less than a second at altitudes above 80 kilometres.
When the superheated air around the meteor glows glows for a short duration, it is visible from the ground as a streak of light known as a shooting star.
Two hours after the peak, the number of meteors will drop off by 50 per cent.
The Quadrantids, nicknamed 'Quads', can produce more than 100 meteors per hour at their peak.
More meteors can be seen when the radiant is higher in the sky.
People living in East Asia can see up to 60 to 120 meteors per hour, according to Space.com.
The Moon will be just past New, as a result of which its light will not interfere with the view.
How To Watch The Showers?
No special equipment is needed to observe the Quadrantid meteor showers as they are easy to watch. One can use the Interactive Meteor Shower Sky Map provided by timeanddate.com to find the position of the radiant in the night sky.
Those interested to observe the spectacular showers may find a secluded viewing spot, away from the city lights. After 15 to 20 minutes, one's eyes will be adjusted to the dark.
People must dress for the weather, and bring a blanket or comfortable chair with them, because viewing the showers may take long.
The higher the radiant is above the horizon, the more meteors a person is likely to see.
The Quadrantids owe their name to the now-defunct constellation Quadrans Muralis. In 1922, the constellation was left off a list of constellations drawn out by the International Astronomical Union (IAU), according to timeanddate.com.
The showers' name was not changed because it had already been named Quadrans Muralis. Quadrantids, like all meteor showers, appear to emanate from a radiant point.
The radiant point of the Quadrantids is now sited at the constellation Boötes, near the Plough asterism. Hence, the showers are sometimes called Bootids.
The asteroid takes about 5.5 hours to orbit the Sun.
The Quadrantids usually travel at a speed of around 40 kilometres per hour and are the result of small particles entering the Earth's atmosphere at high speed.