The New Hampshire night sky is beautiful throughout the year. During a beautifully warm night, there’s something special about laying on your back and gazing upwards to see the stars. There never a shortage of fun things dancing above. Of course, some of us don’t need a warm night to stargaze! Bundle up with friends and get out there. Especially in the next few weeks when one of the most spectacular meteor showers of the year is going to be visible.

One of the most spectacular displays of celestial activity, the Quadrantid meteor shower, will light up the sky over New Hampshire from December 12th, 2019 through January 12th, 2020.

LindemannFilmFotoDrohne / YouTube

As the year’s first meteor shower, this will be both exciting and impressive.

eneas / Flickr

As the sun begins to set, head outside with warm clothes and a few friends.

Tom Lee / Flickr

Getting outside early will help you find a good viewing spot and, if you’re a photographer, it will give you time to set up your gear.

LindemannFilmFotoDrohne / YouTube

The shower will be visible when the radiant point, which is where the paths of meteors appear to begin, is above the horizon.

LindemannFilmFotoDrohne / YouTube

Because the shower takes place within the constellation Bootes, you’ll be able to see it when Bootes is in the night sky.

dshortey / Flickr

The higher Bootes rises above the horizon, the more meteors we’ll be able to see flying through the sky.

LindemannFilmFotoDrohne / YouTube

The radiant point will be highest just before dawn, which means you’ll want to be looking around 4 a..m. The entire meteor shower is anticipated to reach its peak around 4 a.m. on January 4th.

LindemannFilmFotoDrohne / YouTube

Gather some friends and lots of warm clothes and be prepared to spend some time gazing upwards.

eneas / Flickr To be best viewing opportunity, follow these tips:

At its peak, the Earth will rotate in a way that turns New Hampshire towns including Portsmouth right in the direction of the incoming meteors. This will seemingly increase the number of that look to be raining down towards the ground. This a very cool look!

But at other times throughout the month, we’ll see fewer meteors in the sky. The good news? The ones we do see will appear to come through the sky at an oblique angle, which means we’ll be able to see them for a longer period of time before they seem to burn away.

To see what you’re in store for, check out this video of the Quadrantid meteor shower over the sky last year:

LindemannFilmFotoDrohne / YouTube

eneas / Flickr

Tom Lee / Flickr

dshortey / Flickr

To be best viewing opportunity, follow these tips:

At its peak, the Earth will rotate in a way that turns New Hampshire towns including Portsmouth right in the direction of the incoming meteors. This will seemingly increase the number of that look to be raining down towards the ground. This a very cool look!

But at other times throughout the month, we’ll see fewer meteors in the sky. The good news? The ones we do see will appear to come through the sky at an oblique angle, which means we’ll be able to see them for a longer period of time before they seem to burn away.



You can learn more about the meteor shower and see the viewing details from Portsmouth here. You can also use that site to enter your own New Hampshire town for the best times to see the meteors! And you can always visit the NASA site to learn even more about the night sky and how we’re working to explore it.

There are a lot of times throughout the year to see amazing celestial activity in the Granite State. This amazing time lapse video shows New Hampshire like you’ve never seen it before!

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