First meteor shower of 2021 could bring fireballs and 200 meteors an hour

A meteor shower that NASA calls one of the “best annual” will kick off 2021 this weekend.

The Quadrantids meteor shower is one of the strongest, but it can be difficult to see, according to the American Meteor Society.

This year, light from a waning gibbous moon could make it even harder to spot, EarthSky reported.

The shower will peak overnight Saturday from “late night Jan. 2 until dawn Jan. 3,” according to EarthSky.

Unlike most meteor showers, the Quadrantids have a much shorter peak. Typically meteor showers peak for two days, but the Quandrantids only peak for a few hours, according to NASA.

“During its peak, 60 to as many as 200 Quadrantid meteors can be seen per hour under perfect conditions,” NASA reported. “Quadrantids are also known for their bright fireball meteors.”

The best time to try to see the shower is in the morning on Sunday, according to the American Meteor Society.

“The best strategy to see the most activity is to face the northeast quadrant of the sky and center your view about half-way up in the sky,” the American Meteor Society reported. “By facing this direction you are able to see meteors shoot out of the radiant in all directions.”

This story was originally published December 31, 2020 at 11:23 AM.