The next meteor shower is the January 2010 Quadrantids. Last year I was amazed by how active this meteor shower was. The Quadrantids can produce up to 120 meteors per hour and meteors appear bluish-white. When observing the Quadrantids they seem to flicker as they streak across the sky at a startling speed of about 41 kilometers per second (or 92,000 mph). Their activity almost seems jolly when they pop into view as if to say, “look here!” and then they quickly disappear. This meteor shower began on December 28th and will continue to be active until January 12th.
Where to Look
(Bootes is Near the Big Dipper)
The Quadrantids Meteor Shower has a very short and focused peak that will occur in the morning hours of January 3rd. As with most meteor showers they are best viewed in the morning hours before dawn and get their name from their radiant. The radiant, an area where the meteors will appear to originate from is the constellation Bootes that was originally named Quadrans Muralis. Quadrans Muralis 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.
The Quadrantids are an interesting meteor shower for two reasons. The first because most meteor showers are associated with a parent comet and second get their name or radiant from the constellation where they seem to originate. The parent body of the Quadrantids is a near-earth asteroid named 2003 EH1 and their radiant constellation name is Bootes. Some may argue that this shower’s parent is a piece of the comet C/1490 Y1 that fell apart almost 500 years ago. Until 2003 their origin was virtually unknown until scientists crunched a mathematical equation that turned their attention to the presumed source the asteroid 2003 EH1.
Last year this meteor shower was one of the more appealing meteor showers that I viewed but it only lasted for a short period of time and it was extremely cold in the morning when I observed. This year I hope it will deliver similar meteor activity but warmer temperatures . I’ll keep my fingers crossed and hope for the best. If you would like to take a look at this meteor shower, I suggest finding a safe, dark area and locate the constellation Bootes in the morning of January 3rd. Unfortunately, this year the Quadrantids may be battling a waning gibbous Moon with 88% of the visible disk illuminated which usually means one will see fewer meteors. However if this shower is half as strong as it was last year, it is certainly worth a look. Last year I witnessed about 1 to 3 meteors a minute or about 80 to 120 an hour. I make no guarantee that it will be this strong, as this year’s conditions are much different but, you will only know if you take a look. Your questions and comments are welcome.
If you enjoyed my blog and found this information useful, why not buy me a cup of coffee? I can use them during the morning on January 3rd while watching the Quadrantids!
Keep your head up.
- Meteor Mark
Meteor Shower January 2010
on Jan 2nd, 2010 at 9:36 pm
what time is it? can you see it saturday night?
on Jan 2nd, 2010 at 9:49 pm
Jazzy,
Thanks for the comment. Please review the post that you commented in and also the Meteor Shower Viewing page. The Quadrantids started in December and will continue to be active until January 12th, so yes it will be active right now. This shower has a relatively short peak time which will only be known by viewing, when it comes to meteor showers it’s not an exact science down to the minute. Search around this site for more info, there is a lot of information that will help you judge when the best time to view is for you. Generally, the best time is in the morning for most showers.
Keep your head up.
- Meteor Mark
on Jan 2nd, 2010 at 10:56 pm
Hey Mark,
I would like to know what time U are going to be out?
That is what time I will go by. It is going to be too cold here to just sit out all morning after 12.
Thanks Bunches!
KOHU
on Jan 2nd, 2010 at 11:27 pm
Meteor Mom,
Since I started typing the temperature has dropped! It’s 19 degrees here with winds at 40mph so if you don’t see any posts after today it means I’m frozen solid near the local park. I will probably be out at 1am, 3am, 4am to 5am EST. This shower is a real hit or miss type of shower. It is usually really strong for short bursts and this year with the moon being so bright and near the radiant you may have some real problems. As usual I don’t want to discourage you from viewing, but there could be virtually nothing for you but frostbite. I know how much you enjoy watching meteor showers and these meteors seem to be squiggly-tailed and almost playful when they fall, that’s why I look and of course I’m a meteorshoweraholic (I suppose the only cool “holic” to be, maybe). Anyway, I think the best time for Eastcoasters like us will be as close to dawn as possible without sunlight. So let’s say two hours before sunrise (4:30 to 5:30am). In fact this is true for all meteor gazers with this shower and most during the year.
I’m hoping this shower will be good (a little concerned about it being a dud), but I’m keeping my fingers crossed and MHU!
- Meteor Mark
on Jan 3rd, 2010 at 12:07 am
hahaha
I will let you know.
Thanks for the info. Yea, the temp @ 4:30 should be about 30 here. That isn’t as cold as u r right now. BUT, it is cold for FL. I will try just to see. I truly hope you are not frozen come morning! But it might be neat to see what a “Frozen Meteorshoweraholic” would look like. hehe
Guess we will see
on Jan 3rd, 2010 at 12:10 am
Meteor Mom,
I’ll have a #3, the Frozen Meteorshoweraholic and a bagel with sour cream and chives cream cheese, please.
- Meteor Mark
on Jan 3rd, 2010 at 11:31 am
Meteor Mark,
Thanks the for the information. I live in Carlsbad, CA and woke up last night several times to see if I can see any activities in our beautiful night sky. Nothing!! Any suggestions? Can I see them from where I am? Carlsbad, CA? What time? I really have to see them this year!!
on Jan 3rd, 2010 at 6:07 pm
Meteor Mark,
When is the best time to view the meteor shower? I live in Hawaii. Does the after midnight and before dawn still apply? Or is it a different time?
on Jan 3rd, 2010 at 8:56 pm
Kat,
Yes after midnight applies to Hawaii for this shower too. There are cases when it can be different, but generally speaking meteor showers are best seen in the morning hours.
Nilu,
The shower peaked in the morning of January 3rd, there may be some scattered meteor activity from this shower, but it won’t be very strong.
- Meteor Mark
on Jan 11th, 2010 at 9:01 pm
I saw a fireball in the sky last night around 9:40 pm PST. It was whiteish – blue/green and it lit up the sky. I couldn’t find any news on this so I posted it on my face book it turns out another neighbor saw the same thing. Could it have been a meteor?
on Jan 11th, 2010 at 9:04 pm
Rosanna,
Yes. Thanks for the comment.
Keep your head up.
- Meteor Mark
on Jan 14th, 2010 at 12:31 am
My wife and I saw a meteor at about 10:04pm EST while driving south on I-79 near Fairmont, WV. It was bright white travelling east to west and diminished as it dropped down toward the horizon.
on Jan 19th, 2010 at 9:34 am
Last night I saw what looked to me like a bright shooting star (same thing as a meteor I suppose) at dusk, it was in the north eastern sky from Winston-Salem, NC. I tried searching to see if anyone else in NC saw it, but this is the first site that came up on Google when searching for meteorite in NC on Jan 18 2010. I thought it was odd to see such a bright shooting star before the sun was totally set. It wasn’t travelling across the sky, it was heading straight down to the earth, then flared and disappeared before getting to the horizon. Do you think this was a meteor or something else?
on Jan 19th, 2010 at 10:45 am
Roger,
There have been reports in Maryland and North Carolina too. It seems this was a fireball (meteor). You may want to check the glossary on this site for more information. Millions of meteoroids enter our atmosphere on a daily basis and most go unseen or unreported.
Thanks for the comment.
- Meteor Mark
on Jan 25th, 2010 at 2:19 am
Thank you for this website. About 17 years ago I saw a huge single meteor descending in the Mojave Desert where I lived at the time. After reading this page I finally know what that light really was.
on Jan 26th, 2010 at 9:55 pm
Did anyone else see the fireball on Sunday night 24 January, 2010? I observed it from my backyard in Shelbyville, Kentucky. Unsure of the time. Late part of the Viking/Saints game as I took my dog out. Sighted in the southern sky starting near Orion and moving horizontal to the west. Lasted about 5 seconds, very bright with blue and green color. Very impressive!