Updated: Correction - peak is on the 3rd, not the 2nd. Sorry for the confusion.
Although the DMV will be clouded out tonight and perhaps part of tomorrow morning, NASA will be carrying a Livestream of the Quadrantids meteor shower starting at 6 p.m. EST on 1-2-14. You can also try to tune in on radar to listen to the shower during the peak which is predicted for 3 p.m. EST on 1-3-14.
For my worldwide followers who may be able to see the first main meteor shower of 2014 tonight and tomorrow morning, here are some details to help you.
Quadrantids
Comet of Origin: 2003 EH1
Radiant: constellation Bootes
Active: Dec. 28, 2013-Jan.12, 2014
Peak Activity: Jan. 2-3, 2014
Peak Activity Meteor Count: 80 meteors per hour
Meteor Velocity: 25.5 miles (41 kilometers) per second
Notes: The thin crescent moon will set at dusk, providing moon-free darkness ideal for meteor watching. Note: This shower has a very sharp peak, usually only lasting a few hours, and is often obscured by winter weather. The greatest numbers of meteors are expected in the early morning hours before dawn.
QuadrantidsActive from January 1st to 10th 2014
The Quadrantids have the potential to be the strongest shower of the year but usually fall short due to the short length of maximum activity (6 hours) and the poor weather experienced during early January. The average hourly rates one can expect under dark skies is 25. These meteors usually lack persistent trains but often produce bright fireballs. Due to the high northerly declination (celestial latitude) these meteors are not well seen from the southern hemisphere.
Radiant: 15:18 +49.5° - ZHR: - Velocity: 26 miles/sec (medium - 42.2km/sec) - Parent Object: 2003 EH (Asteroid)
| Shower | Activity Period | Maximum | Radiant | Velocity | r | Max. | Time | Moon | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | S. L. | R.A. | Dec. | km/s | ZHR | |||||
| Quadrantids (QUA) | Jan 01-Jan 10 | Jan 03 | 283.16° | 15:18 | +49.5° | 42.2 | 2.1 | 120 | 0500 | 02 |
Read More About It Here .
The thin crescent Moon and Venus will be visible in the SW sky right after sunset tonight
The thin crescent Moon and Venus will be visible in the SW sky right after sunset tonight
Clear Skies and good luck.
Sky Guy in Cloudy VA
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