Quadrantid Meteor Shower Peaks 2022 JAN 03-04

[CentaurZ]

The annual Quadrantid Meteor Shower may already be underway, and is expected to peak during 2022 JAN 03-04. Its radiant is in the no longer official constellation Quadrans Muralis, which is now part of Boötes. That is the direction toward which the meteor tails point, but the meteors are equally likely to appear anywhere in your sky. It is conjectured that the Quadrantids are debris from the asteroid 2003 EH1, which in turn may have been a castoff from comet C/1490 Y1.

 The peak rate of the Quadrantids can be as great as the normally most prolific annual showers at possibly a hundred per hour for sharp eyed observers in dark skies. However, the peak period of less than half a day is unusually short, thus implying a narrow stream of particles. Also, the meteors are normally not very bright.

The show begins after Boötes rises, which is around local midnight for mid-latitude northern hemisphere observers, but later in the southern hemisphere. It will continue through morning twilight. No interference should be expected during the peak from the waxing crescent Moon.

Descriptions of the shower or perhaps even lucky photos would be welcome additions to this thread.

[happy-kat]

Thanks for this, currently the 4th and 5th look hopeful for a clear sky plus a tiny Moon. I'll try to remember to improve focus though I'm not using an IR block which means I can't get sharp but close ish