Meteor Shower January 2009 - The Quadrantids
The next meteor shower we will be discussing is the January 2009 Quadrantids. This meteor shower has been known to produce up to 120 meteors per hour. Quadrantids meteors streak across the sky at about 41 kilometers per second (92,000 mph) and appear to originate from the constellation Bootes. You may or may not be familiar with that meteor showers normally get their name from the constellation where their radiant is near, in this case this still holds true because originally the name of this constellation was Quadrans Muralis and actually the constellation was not added to the new list of eighty-eight modern constellations. The name was changed in 1922 to Bootes but the name of the meteor shower, the Quadrantids, remained the same. This meteor shower is one of the more appealing showers of the year but it only lasts for a short period of time from January 1st to January 5th and peaks for a few hours on January 3rd. We will be giving more information about this shower on January 1st so bookmark the site and check back with us. In the meantime, keep your head up!
- Meteor Mark
Meteor Shower January 2009
on Dec 23rd, 2008 at 3:43 am
Hello Meteor Gazers,
The next meteor shower is the Quadrantids! I am always available to answer your questions. Feel free to make comments on the site and check back with me to see my response. I always try to answer all comments in a timely manner.
- Meteor Mark
on Dec 23rd, 2008 at 2:50 pm
Hi,
I am planning on going on Friday night – Sat Morning. I live in New York City… I was thinking about going to Central Park, but it seems like I’m going to need to get away from the city lights. How far away from the city would I need to be? Which direction of the sky am I supposed to look at? Approximately what time will the peak hit? (EST Time Zone)
Thanks,
Alex
on Dec 25th, 2008 at 10:30 pm
Alex,
I lived in Manhattan for a while and grew up in Nassau County, Long Island. Nassau County at times in some places was too bright to see a lot of meteor showers so I used to go out to the Hamptons. I am not saying you should go out to the Hamptons to view them, but you could.
The shower is set to peak on January 3rd at 12:50 Universal Time which is 07:50 Eastern Standard Time. Obviously it will be too light to view the shower at this time so anytime in the morning hours of January 3rd will be best for viewing, so approximately 01:00 to 05:30 Eastern Standard Time is my best guess for you. There is usually a short window of opportunity for the Quadrantids, but they have been known to produce up to 120 meteors an hour during their peak.
The below map shows the location of Bootes in relation to the Big Dipper which will be located in the east. Let me guess again and say that you should go about 35 to 40 miles out of the city, try one of the Long Island Beaches, Jersey or somewhere in Westchester County.
If you did choose Central Park, just look to the darkest part of the sky. Man-made lights as you know are a major factor when it comes to meteors. I should add that meteors can be seen in any given point of the sky. The radiant Bootes is where the meteors would seem to originate.
I hope this helps, keep your head up!
- Meteor Mark
on Dec 28th, 2008 at 4:22 am
Hello! Jan. 3rd happens to be my 36th B-day! I live in Cloverdale, CA (Sonoma County) which is a small rural town, of which I live on the outskirts of… therefore very little city lights! Just checking to see if I have the facts correct for the best viewing from my area. Face east? The peak should be the night of Saturday the 3rd continuing into the morning of Sunday the 4th? What would be the best hour PST to view the peak?
Thanks so much and happy viewing!
Shay
on Dec 28th, 2008 at 12:23 pm
Any chance to see any of the Quadrantids on the 31st?
Family here – leaving on the 1st for home.
We were thinking of trying to catch a meteor shower before they head back to the city lights.
on Dec 28th, 2008 at 5:21 pm
Ptoe,
The Quadrantids start January 1st in the morning. There are always a few meteors in our skies each night. I would hate to discourage you from taking a look, but I don’t think you will see any before the start of the Quadrantids. If you keep your expectations low and look to the sky in the morning hours of January 1st before dawn you may see some meteors there is a chance you may witness an outburst or some sporadic meteors. The Quadrantids are known to be a somewhat focused meteor shower that is only strong for a few hours near their peak on January 3rd.
Give it a try but don’t expect much.
- Meteor Mark
on Dec 28th, 2008 at 6:40 pm
Shay,
The Quadrantids Meteor Shower is set to peak January 3rd at 12:50 Universal Time (UT) this translates to 04:50 Pacific Standard Time (PST).
Meteor showers are commonly considered a “night event” when actually they are a “morning event”. Most meteor showers are best viewed after midnight, this means when a peak date is January 3rd like the Quadrantids it is after midnight 12:01 AM on Saturday to pre-Dawn on Saturday.
Because you live in California you have the benefit of seeing the shower at their peak when the sky will be dark and the moon will have set under the horizon. Looking to the east and finding the constellation Bootes will be helpful though meteors can be seen anywhere in the sky (view the meteor glossary on this site for: radiant)
The Quadrantids could produce a spectacular display for your birthday! TRY VIEWING FOR A TWO HOUR PERIOD BETWEEN 3:45 AM to 5:45 AM PST ON SATURDAY JANUARY 3RD Sorry for typing in the caps, but I don’t want you to miss it.
Keep your head up and kindly share some viewing experiences with us and I almost forgot…
Happy Birthday from Meteor Mark…
on Dec 29th, 2008 at 6:02 pm
Thank you!
What Comet is responsible for this shower?
on Dec 29th, 2008 at 7:18 pm
OK, just saw a fireball drop from a southerly direction towards the north at 18:21 ~ orange yellow in color, about two seconds travel time and then it broke off into four pieces as it appeared to disintegrate at tree level. Location is Suffolk, VA (36d45’5″N, 76d,39’37″W) ~ hope this means the Quandrantids are eager to show, or this was a loner from earlier in the month. Happy New Year, and good luck gazing!
on Dec 29th, 2008 at 9:19 pm
Sabina,
Sounds like you saw a Bolide! It could have been a sporadic meteor not associated with any particular shower. I hope it does mean the Quadrantids are eager to do their thing too!
Ptoe,
There is actually an asteroid associated with this event not a comet. I will be posting a new article for January 1st about the Quadrantids with more information so stay tuned…
Thanks for your comments and happy meteor gazing!
- Meteor Mark
on Dec 31st, 2008 at 1:38 pm
ANyone where is a good place to watch the Quadrantids from Los angeles?
on Dec 31st, 2008 at 9:14 pm
Andy,
How about a California State Park like Topanga Park or Santa Ynez Canyon Park?
Let me know if you have any luck.
- Meteor Mark
on Jan 2nd, 2009 at 10:27 am
I was hoping to catch a view of the Quadrantids from where I live in Florida, central time zone. do you know what time would be best to view from the beach? The bad news is that I heard it’s supposed to be cloudy.
on Jan 2nd, 2009 at 4:23 pm
I am really excited about seeing my first meteor shower this Saturday. I’m near Dallas, Texas, and the peak is 6:50am my time, so I’ll probably end up going sometime around 3-5am, so the sky is still dark enough to see. Would Bootes be visible from my area? I tried to find a sky map to see where it would be but it didn’t seem to have Bootes on there.
on Jan 2nd, 2009 at 6:54 pm
Ash and Scooter,
Both of you will be able to located Bootes in the east. Please take a look at Comment #3 in this thread for an idea of what the constellation Bootes looks like and where it is in the sky.
The radiant Bootes located under The Big Dipper is where meteors would appear to originate. This does not mean this is the only place in the sky that meteors will appear. You can see them anywhere really. However if you can trace their backward path to a point in the sky, they will point back to their radiant.
I would think 3am to 5am would be the right time to observe for both of you so dress warmly, get away from man-made lights and keep your head up.
- Meteor Mark
on Jan 4th, 2009 at 4:04 am
Thank you very much for your information, I did see many (from San Francisco ,CA) about 30 i saw over the hour, but i was also adjusting my camera, so probably missed many. But it was amazing!! thank you for ur information!!
on Jan 5th, 2009 at 9:43 pm
Alan,
You’re welcome thanks for the photos!
Meteor Mark
on Jan 8th, 2009 at 9:00 pm
is there a another coming up on January ?
on Jan 11th, 2009 at 10:56 am
Christelle,
Nothing peaking this month except the Quadrantids. The next meteor shower is not a very strong one. Check back with me February 1 for new updates.
Keep your head up!
- Meteor Mark
on Feb 17th, 2009 at 4:31 am
I live in the Menifee-Perris area of Riverside County, the inland valley of southern California.
Several nights ago (Feb. 13-14?) In the evening between 6 – 11:00, I can’t remember!
I saw a fireball fall from the sky to the northern horizon.
I meant to try to get some info about it right away, but have been busy. Could it have been a meteor? It was much larger and brighter than any I have ever seen, and it moved a tiny bit slower. March ARB is nearby but it didn’t look like a flair.
on Feb 17th, 2009 at 8:30 pm
Diane,
A fireball is a type of meteor. You may find the meteor glossary on our site helpful, I have put a few definitions there to help you.
Thanks for the comment.
- Meteor Mark
on Jun 3rd, 2009 at 8:07 pm
Hello, I live in Los Angeles and was wondering when the next meteor shower will be, what time? and where would be best to view it? thanks so much
-Tanya