THE QUADRANTID meteor shower will soar across the skies the first few days of January 2022.
The space spectacle will feature Quadrantid meteors, which are known by astronomers to be one of the strongest meteor displays.
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When is the 2022 Quadrantid meteor shower?
The Quadrantid meteor shower is expected to peak on the evening of January 3.
The Quadrantids should reach peak brightness at around 20:40 UTC.
Try looking tonight if you can get to a dark location.
The event is also weather dependent as there won’t be much hope of seeing the meteors if it’s cloudy.
The Quadrantid meteor shower usually starts in late December and lasts until early January but the best time to see it will be January 2, 3 and 4.
The celestial display occurs because the Earth passes through the trail of an asteroid or possible rock comet called 2003 EH1.
Meteors are pieces of debris that have broken off asteroids or comets.
If this debris comes into contact with the Earth’s atmosphere at speed then they burn up and become visible as bright streaks across the sky.
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How can I watch the 2022 Quadrantid meteor shower?
You’ll want to be outside at least an hour before this so your eyes have a chance to adjust to the dark.
The meteor shower should be visible from most of the countries in the Northern Hemisphere.
You’ll need to look north-east and below the handle of the Big Dipper constellation.
As with any meteor shower, there is no guarantee you’ll definitely be able to spot it as sometimes it just comes down to the luck of being in the right place at the right time.
Can I use an app for stargazing when the meteor shower becomes visible?
Sometimes smartphones can be useful to point out the location of constellations and planets in the night sky.
You can try downloading one of these apps to point yourself in the right direction.
Make sure you give your eyes a break from your phone afterwards though, stargazing is best when your eyes have adjusted to the dark.
Stargazing apps for Android and iPhone include: SkyView Lite, Star Tracker and Star Walk 2.
Some apps are free but a lot of them charge so it depends if you want to put up with adverts or not.
It’s advisable to read the reviews of an app and look at how many people have rated it before downloading.
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