The Quadrantid Meteor Shower Is The First Of 2020 Visible From Idaho

The first major meteor shower of the year is definitely not one to be missed. Known as the Quadrantid meteor shower, this annual event is right up there with August’s Perseids and December’s Geminids when it comes to the sheer amount of meteors it produces. This year is expected to be as good as ever with little to no moonlight interfering with visibility, so you’ll definitely want to make plans to experience it for yourself. Read on to learn about this shower’s peak and why you don’t want to miss it.

The Quadrantid meteor shower makes an appearance every January and this year’s event is looking to be better than ever due to moon-free skies during the shower’s peak.

Rob Pettengill/Flickr

This year, the shower is expected to peak late at night on January 3 and into the early morning hours of January 4. The Quadrantids are known to produce over 100 meteors per hour during their peak, which is right up there in numbers with the Perseids and Geminids.

NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center/Flickr

However, the Quadrantids are also famous for a peak that is typically short-lived. Whereas other meteor showers can peak for a day or more, the Quadrantids’ peak usually only lasts a few hours.

silent7seven/Flickr

This year, experts predict that the meteor shower’s peak will probably occur in the predawn hours on January 4. This means you’ll have to stay up pretty late—or wake up very early—to catch the peak. Of course, you’ll still be able to view meteors before and after the peak, just not as many.

Ron Lute/Flickr

This particular meteor shower is known to radiate near the Big Dipper star constellation and the bright star Arcturus. However, you should be able to view the Quadrantid meteors shooting across the entire night sky, so don’t worry about picking out the shower’s exact radiant point.

Bill Dickinson/Flickr

Additionally, the absence of moonlight during the predawn hours of the peak means that conditions for viewing the meteors should be ideal. Your chances of viewing bright and vibrant meteors will be even better if you seek out an especially dark area in the state to view them from.

Diana Robinson/Flickr

The Quadrantid meteor shower always makes for a magnificent start to the new year, but we’re especially excited to view this celestial event at the beginning of a new decade. Start making plans now to catch this meteor shower at its peak for a luminous display you won’t soon forget.

NH53/Flickr

Are you excited for the first meteor shower of the 2020? We sure are! Tell us all about your favorite places to view meteor showers here in Idaho in the comments below.