The Quadrantids meteor shower is one of the astronomical events that we can appreciate in January. The year begins with this highly active meteor shower. Despite having a relatively short duration, the night show they offer is one of the most beautiful of the year.
When and how to see the Quadrantids meteor shower?
They are one of the most active meteor showers of the year, along with the Perseids and the Geminids. They have a zenithal hourly rate (maximum number of meteors that could be seen under optimal conditions) of 120 meteors per hour. It should be noted that they will only be visible in the northern hemisphere.
Its activity extends annually between 1 and 5 January. But this year 2021, if the clear horizon allows us, it will reach its highest peak of visible activity between the night of the 3rd and the early morning of the 4th of January.
Bootes Constellation
To see the Quadrantids, you just need to find a place away from light pollution, that is, as dark as possible and away from big cities. Locate the constellation in the sky bootsit will be easier to recognize if you look for the Great Bear which is located northeast of the celestial vault.
The bursts of light will appear to emerge from this point in the sky, although they will spread throughout the sky. If there’s enough darkness and a clear horizon, you won’t need to focus your attention on Bootes.
What is the origin of the Quadrantids?
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All meteor showers get their names from the constellation of stars from which they appear to emerge. Thus the Quadrantids receive their name from the constellation Quadrans Muralis, which ceased to be recognized as such by the astronomical community in the 1920s. Most of its stars now belong to the Bootes constellation. However, the name prevails in the astronomical event.
Meteor showers are colloquially named like this, however, it is not exactly shooting stars that we see in the sky, rather it is meteors. so technically the correct name of these events is meteor showers. But what are these objects?
When an object that wanders through the cosmos, such as a asteroid or comet, goes into the interior of the Solar System, the interaction with the solar wind causes the materials on the surface of the object to be ejected. The detached dust particles begin to orbit around the Sun, just like their object of origin. These debris are called meteor swarm.
Well, when the Earth in its annual trajectory of the translation movement crosses a meteor swarm, cosmic dust comes into contact with the earth’s atmosphere producing showers of stars or meteors.
The origin of the Quadrantids is still a matter of debate among the astronomical community. However, the most accepted version is that they come from the remnants of the asteroid 2003 EH1. Although it is also believed that they could have their origin in the comet c/1490 Y1. An ancient comet that was first observed over 500 years ago.
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