The Quadrantid meteor shower will peak tonight, but the Wolf Moon will significantly outshine the display. Only the brightest members may be visible, as this event culminates under the bright light of a Full Supermoon.
The Quadrantid meteor shower is active from December 26 with a narrow peak lasting about six hours that unfolds at dawn in January.
The shooting stars appear when fragments of an asteroid collide with Earth’s atmosphere.
Celestial Display: Wolf Supermoon Meets Quadrantid Meteor Shower
Quadrantid meteor showers can generate spectacular displays, with up to 200 shooting stars visible under dark sky conditions around the peak.
According to NASA, predictions call for an hourly rate of only 10 meteors per hour on the night of the peak.
January’s full moon is often called the “Wolf Moon,” in reference to predators heard howling during the scarcity of winter; however, they don’t actually howl at Earth’s satellite.
According to Space.commeteors associated with the Quadrantid shower appear to radiate from a patch of sky close to the Ursa Major, a prominent asterism in the constellation Ursa Major, a circumpolar feature in the Northern Hemisphere.
Quadrantid meteors can appear in any part of the sky. It is best not to look exactly into the radiant one, because the paths appear at their shortest there.
The Quadrantid meteor shower is one of the strongest of the year, but this year the Wolf Moon will top most of the display.
