Quadrantid Meteor Shower: Early Thur. Morning

Quadrantid meteors in moonlight before dawn January 3

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Tonight for January 2, 2013

Courtesy U.S. Naval Observatory

 

The annual Quadrantid meteor shower is expected to produce its greatest number of meteors in the wee hours before dawn tomorrow: Thursday, January 3. Before dawn on January 4 might also be a possibility – especially for far eastern Asia. This year, 2013, the waning gibbous moon will be in the sky during the peak hours for watching meteors. But you might see some of the brighter meteors, even in moonlight.

The Quadrantid meteor shower is capable of matching the meteor rates of the better known August Perseid and December Geminid showers. It has been known to produce up to 50-100 or more meteors per hour in a dark sky. This shower favors the Northern Hemisphere. That’s because its radiant point – the point in the sky from which the meteors appear to radiate – is far to the north on the sky’s dome.

More - Link >>> http://earthsky.org/tonight/quadrantid-meteor-shower-before-dawn-in-early-january

Source: EarthSky.org .

gaw

Glenn A. Walsh, Project Director,
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