The Quadrantids are arriving, the first shooting stars of 2024:how to observe them

The peak on the night between 3 and 4 January

ROME – Nose turned up for the first shooting stars of the year.The night between January 3rd and 4th the swarm of Quadrantids will reach its peak, giving us one of the most intense meteor showers.

HOW TO OBSERVE THE QUADRANTIDS

At their best, the Quadrantids will dazzle observers with a peak of 40 meteors per hour.As always, it is advisable to take a stand in a dark place, away from urban lights that can disturb the observation of the sky. The Moon will be in its last quarter phase, therefore its not very intense light will not disturb observation.

The peak, or the moment of maximum intensity, is expected on the night between January 3rd and 4th, but the swarm will last until January 12th.

The radiant of the Quadrantids, that is, the point from which they seem to spawn is located slightly north of the constellation Bootes, which can be spotted after midnight looking east.The trick to finding it in the sky is to prolong with an imaginary line the three stars that make up the rudder of the Big Dipper, the asterism of the Big Dipper, maintaining its curvature.