Post by greybeard on Jan 1, 2020 19:15:37 GMT -6
Not sure where else to put this, but here 'tis:
The Quadrantids meteor shower is slated to appear & peak over N America on Jan 4 at approx:
3am Eastern Standard time Saturday
2am Central Standard time Saturday
1am Mountain Standard time Saturday
Midnight Pacific Standard time Saturday
(in other words,....
3 hrs after midnight Friday night in the Eastern zone.
2 hrs after midnight Friday night in the Central zone.
1 hr after midnight Friday night in the Mountain zone.
At midnight Friday night in the Pacific zone)
I suggest you begin watching 30 min to 1 hr before peak time in your time zone.
Unlike most meteor showers that have a broad peak over several days, the Quadrantids have a sharp peak that lasts just a few hours. In 2020, (that's this year now) the International Meteor Organization (IMO) is projecting that the Quadrantids will peak around 3 a.m. EST Saturday, which is an ideal time for North American observers as it will be dark across the continent.
The best time to watch a meteor shower is when the radiant point is high in the sky, and that will be the case for the Quadrantids when they peak early Saturday morning. Shooting stars will originate from near the constellation Ursa Major, more commonly known as the Big Dipper. However, shooting stars will be visible in all areas of the sky.
Finally, the moon will be below the horizon during the second half of the night, greatly reducing the amount of natural light pollution.
With these three ingredients coming together almost perfectly, folks across North America may be able to count anywhere from 60 to 200 meteors per hour before daybreak on Saturday morning, according to the IMO.
The only obstacle that onlookers will face is cloudy weather.
The Quadrantids meteor shower is slated to appear & peak over N America on Jan 4 at approx:
3am Eastern Standard time Saturday
2am Central Standard time Saturday
1am Mountain Standard time Saturday
Midnight Pacific Standard time Saturday
(in other words,....
3 hrs after midnight Friday night in the Eastern zone.
2 hrs after midnight Friday night in the Central zone.
1 hr after midnight Friday night in the Mountain zone.
At midnight Friday night in the Pacific zone)
I suggest you begin watching 30 min to 1 hr before peak time in your time zone.
Unlike most meteor showers that have a broad peak over several days, the Quadrantids have a sharp peak that lasts just a few hours. In 2020, (that's this year now) the International Meteor Organization (IMO) is projecting that the Quadrantids will peak around 3 a.m. EST Saturday, which is an ideal time for North American observers as it will be dark across the continent.
The best time to watch a meteor shower is when the radiant point is high in the sky, and that will be the case for the Quadrantids when they peak early Saturday morning. Shooting stars will originate from near the constellation Ursa Major, more commonly known as the Big Dipper. However, shooting stars will be visible in all areas of the sky.
Finally, the moon will be below the horizon during the second half of the night, greatly reducing the amount of natural light pollution.
With these three ingredients coming together almost perfectly, folks across North America may be able to count anywhere from 60 to 200 meteors per hour before daybreak on Saturday morning, according to the IMO.
The only obstacle that onlookers will face is cloudy weather.
