This Wednesday the first meteor shower of 2024 will occur: the quadrantids, which could reach an activity rate above 120 fleeting meteors per hour and a speed of 41 kilometers per second, reports the National Astronomical Observatory (OAN).
It is one of the most active showers of the year along with the Perseids in August and the Geminids in December, although its meteors are not seen as often as those of the other two showers, because its period of maximum activity usually lasts. just a few hours. The bad weather conditions common in the northern winter will not help either.
The quadrantids, the first meteor shower of 2024, will be possible on Wednesday night, when it gets dark. The time of maximum activity and best observation will be in the early hours of Wednesday to Thursday. With worse conditions, they will continue until January 12.
The best place to observe the quadrantids from the peninsula will be at 40º north, when they will be above the horizon from dusk to dawn. The viewing location can be anywhere as long as it provides a dark sky, with few obstacles to the view (such as buildings, trees or mountains).
Astronomers recommend dressing warmly, lying down and waiting for your eyes to get used to the darkness to be able to see them. But it won’t be easy. The OAN recognizes that observation will be hindered by two factors: possible adverse weather conditions; and because the Moon will be in its last quarter phase precisely on the 4th, so it will be high in the sky in the hours close to sunrise, so its light can make observation difficult.
The origin of the quadrantids remains uncertain, explains the OAN. Some astronomers speculate that the asteroid 2003 EH1 may be the cause of this expected meteor shower.
This asteroid was discovered in 2003 and is believed to be related to the extinct comet C1490 Y1 observed by Chinese, Japanese and Korean astronomers about five hundred years ago.
