Washington, Dec. – The Quadrantid meteor shower, the first of 2026, will reach its peak on January 3rd and 4th, and will be visible from the Northern Hemisphere, according to the astronomy portal Starwalk.
Until January 12th, skywatching enthusiasts will be able to see meteors as the Quadrantids are known for producing bright fireballs even after the peak.
This meteor shower can offer dozens of shooting stars per hour under ideal conditions, but next year the peak of the Quadrantids will coincide with a full moon, which will significantly reduce the number of visible meteors (to about 10 per hour), according to Starwalk.
It is also one of the few meteor showers with an extremely narrow peak, lasting only about six hours in this case, notes the portal EarthSky.
On January 3rd, the Earth will be at its closest point to the Sun in its orbit, at 147 million kilometers, while on July 6th it will be at its farthest point (152 million kilometers), reports the site cite-espace.com.
The radiant (the point from which meteors appear to originate due to perspective) of the Quadrantids is located in the constellation Boötes.
The "shooting stars" of the Quadrantids originate from dust dispersed by 2003 EH, an object almost four kilometers wide considered to be an extinct comet, the source specifies.
(Taken from Prensa Latina)
