Watch the first meteor shower of 2024 reach its peak

Our universe may be packed with cosmic wonders, but you can only see a fraction of astronomical phenomena with your naked eye. Meteor showers, natural fireworks that shoot brightly across the night sky, are one of them.

The first meteor shower you can see this year are the Quadrantids, which have been active since December 28 and are expected to continue until January 12. They peak on January 3 to 4, or from Wednesday night to 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 asteroid debris (others are due to comets). The shower is best seen from the Northern Hemisphere and is one of the most difficult to catch.

The Quadrantids have one of the shortest peak periods, lasting only six hours. And the time of year can mean cloudy skies and frigid temperatures. The moon will be more than half full, which can also make it more difficult to spot meteors.

Where meteor showers come from

There’s a chance you’ll see a meteor on any given night, but chances are you’ll see one during a rainstorm. Meteor showers are caused by the Earth going through debris and chasing a comet or asteroid as it orbits the sun. This debris, which can be as small as a grain of sand, leaves behind a glowing stream of light as it burns up in Earth’s atmosphere.

Meteor showers occur around the same time every year and can last for days or weeks. But there is only a small window when each shower is at its peak, which happens when Earth reaches the densest part of the cosmic debris. The peak is the best time to look for a shower. From our vantage point on Earth, the meteors appear to come from the same point in the sky.

For example, the Perseid meteor shower peaks from the constellation Perseus in mid-August. The Geminids, which occur every December, radiate from the constellation Gemini.

Subscribe to the Times Space and Astronomy Calendar for reminders about meteor showers throughout the year.

How to see a meteor shower

Michelle nichols, the director of audience observation at the Adler Planetarium in Chicago recommends refraining from using telescopes or binoculars while watching a meteor shower.

“You just need your eyes and, ideally, a dark sky,” she said.

That’s because meteors can streak across large areas of the sky, causing observation equipment to limit your field of view.

Some showers are powerful enough to produce up to 100 stripes per hour, according to the American Meteor Societyalthough you probably won’t see that many.

“Almost everyone is under slightly polluted skies,” Ms. Nichols said. “You may 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 such as this can help you figure out where to stay away from excessive light. The best conditions for catching a meteor shower are clear skies with no moon or cloud cover, sometime between midnight and sunrise. (Moonlight affects vision in the same way as light pollution, washing out weaker light sources in the sky.) Make sure you give your eyes at least 30 minutes to get used to seeing in the dark.

Ms. Nichols also recommends wearing layers, even in summer. “You’re going to sit there and watch for a long time,” she said. “It’s going to be chilly, even in August.”

Bring a cup of cocoa or tea for even more warmth. Then sit back, scan the sky and enjoy the show.