The very first meteor shower of 2020 should be an event worth getting up early to see. Unlike other meteor showers that inspire late nights for best viewing times at around 2 a.m. (like the Perseids and Geminid meteor showers), January’s annual meteor shower peaks around 5 a.m. EST on the morning of Saturday, January 4th.

The annual Quadrantid meteor shower is a much younger event than other annual meteor showers.

Kevin Key / Slworking / Moment Collection via Getty Images And Quadrantic meteors are also thought to have a completely different origin than most meteors, which are commonly considered to originate from comets. According to Space.com, Quadrantid is from an asteroid (2003-EH1) thought to have spun off from a comet that was lost in the 15th century.

Weather permitting, viewing this year’s Quadrantid meteor shower will be a breeze — as long as you can find the constellation known as the Big Dipper. (Just remember, the Big Dipper is the upright ladle that pours into the Little Dipper.)

Wikipedia/EarthSky Communications, Inc. The radiant position for Quadrantid’s more than 100 meteors per hours will be just below the handle of the Big Dipper, which should be found by facing northeast and looking up.

Although the moon will be at approximately 71% full during the Quadrantid meteor shower, since the shower peaks at 5 a.m., the moon should be near to the opposite of your field of vision.

Flickr/Jürgen Mangelsdorf

The best places to witness any meteor shower are those with minimal light pollution.

Flickr/Will Fisher So if you have a neighbor who loves to keep their property lights on all night, then you’ll want to head to a place where it’s as dark as possible, the beach is always a great viewing area.

Additionally, most spots along the Blue Ridge Parkway should be perfect for spotting Quadrantids.

Victor Ellison / Moment Collection via Getty Images This image was captured during the annual Perseids meteor shower in the month of August from Price Lake along the Blue Ridge Parkway near Blowing Rock.

Another wonderful reason to get up early to see this meteor shower is the distinct color of these meteors.

Flickr/Diana Robinson While some meteors simply glow white as they shoot through the sky and others, like the Eta Aquarids meteors seen here in a 2019 image captured in Punta Gorda, Florida, are bright green and yellow…

The Quadrantids are a blazing bright blue that light up the sky in a dazzling display.

Daniel Pludowski / EyeEm Collection via Getty Images

Kick off the new year in brilliant fashion with a pre-dawn meteor shower that promises to be easy to spot (right under the handle of the Big Dipper) and resplendent with bright blue meteors. The window for viewing the Quadrantid meteor shower is short (approximately six hours total) with the peak taking place at 5 a.m. EST on January 4, 2020. Set an alarm on your phone now – so you don’t forget!

Kevin Key / Slworking / Moment Collection via Getty Images

And Quadrantic meteors are also thought to have a completely different origin than most meteors, which are commonly considered to originate from comets. According to Space.com, Quadrantid is from an asteroid (2003-EH1) thought to have spun off from a comet that was lost in the 15th century.

Wikipedia/EarthSky Communications, Inc.

The radiant position for Quadrantid’s more than 100 meteors per hours will be just below the handle of the Big Dipper, which should be found by facing northeast and looking up.

Flickr/Jürgen Mangelsdorf

Flickr/Will Fisher

So if you have a neighbor who loves to keep their property lights on all night, then you’ll want to head to a place where it’s as dark as possible, the beach is always a great viewing area.

Victor Ellison / Moment Collection via Getty Images

This image was captured during the annual Perseids meteor shower in the month of August from Price Lake along the Blue Ridge Parkway near Blowing Rock.

Flickr/Diana Robinson

While some meteors simply glow white as they shoot through the sky and others, like the Eta Aquarids meteors seen here in a 2019 image captured in Punta Gorda, Florida, are bright green and yellow…

Daniel Pludowski / EyeEm Collection via Getty Images

OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article.

Address: North Carolina, USA