Our universe may be full of cosmic wonders, but you can only observe a fraction of astronomical phenomena with the naked eye. Meteor showers, the natural fireworks that streak brightly across the night sky, are one of them.
The first meteor shower you can observe this year will be the Quaternions, which have been active since December 28th and are predicted to continue until January 12th. They peak on January 3-4, or Wednesday night into Thursday morning.
The Quadrantids, which the International Meteor Organization has predicted will be one of the strongest meteor showers this year, are also one of the few caused by debris from an asteroid (others come from comets). Better than the northern hemisphere, the shower is one of the most difficult.
The Quaternaries have one of the shortest peak periods, lasting only six hours. And the time of year can mean cloudy skies and cold temperatures. The moon will be more than half full, which may also make it harder to spot meteors.
Unfortunately, the darkest skies across the United States, from New Mexico to Idaho, will likely be overcast Wednesday night into Thursday morning. Things don’t look much better along the East Coast, where clouds will dominate the sky, except for some coastal areas in New England.
The best spots, weather-wise on Wednesday, will be the south-central US
Those hoping to catch any remaining fireballs after the shower peak ends will have mixed opportunities. Thursday night is expected to provide better viewing across the eastern US and parts of the Southwest with little to no cloud cover. But the Northwest will never catch a break in the clouds over the next couple of nights, and the weather system hanging over the Rockies on Wednesday will cover the central US on Thursday.
Where do meteor showers come from?
There’s a chance you’ll see a meteor any night, but you’re most likely to catch one during a shower. Meteor showers are caused by Earth passing through debris following a comet or asteroid as it swings around the sun. This debris, which can be as small as a grain of sand, leaves behind a bright stream of light as it burns up in Earth’s atmosphere.
The meteor shower happens around the same time every year and can last for days or weeks. But there’s only a small window when each shower is at its peak, which is when Earth reaches the densest part of cosmic debris. Peak is the best time to look for showers. From our point of view on Earth, the meteors will appear to come from the same spot in the sky.
The Perseid meteor shower, for example, peaks in mid-August from the constellation Perseus. Gemini, which appears every December, is emitted from the constellation Gemini.
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How to watch a meteor shower
Michelle Nichols, the director of public observation at Adler Planetarium in Chicago, recommends forgoing the use of telescopes or binoculars while watching a meteor shower.
“You just need your eyes and, ideally, a dark sky,” he said.
This is because meteors can be thrown across large areas of the sky, so observing equipment can limit your field of view.
Some showers are powerful enough to produce up to 100 streaks per hour, according to the American Meteor Societyalthough you probably won’t see that many.
“Almost everyone is under a slightly polluted sky,” Ms Nicholls said. “You might think you’re under a dark sky, but in reality, even in a small town, you can have bright lights nearby.”
Planetariums, local astronomy clubs or even maps like this it can help you figure out where to get away from too much light. The best conditions to catch a meteor shower are a clear sky with no moon or clouds, sometime between midnight and sunrise. (Moonlight affects visibility in the same way as light pollution, washing out dimmer light sources in the sky.) Be sure to give your eyes at least 30 minutes to adjust to seeing in the dark.
Ms. Nichols also recommends wearing layers, even in the summer. “You’re going to sit there for a long time and watch,” he said. “It’s going to be cold, even in August.”
Bring a cup of cocoa or tea for even more warmth. Then sit back, scan the sky and enjoy the show.
Judson Jones contributed to the report.