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Credit & Copyright: Cheng Luo
Explanation:
Named for a
forgotten
constellation, the
Quadrantid Meteor Shower
is an annual event for planet Earth's northern hemisphere skygazers
The shower's radiant on the sky
lies within the old, astronomically obsolete constellation
Quadrans
Muralis.
That location is not far from the Big Dipper,
at the boundaries of the modern constellations Bootes and Draco.
With the radiant out of the frame at the upper right,
Quadrantid meteors streak through this night
skyscape composed of digital frames recorded in the hours
around the shower's peak on January 4, 2013.
The last quarter moon illuminates rugged terrain and a section of the
Great Wall in Hebei Province, China.
A likely source of the dust stream that produces
Quadrantid meteors was identified
in 2003
as an asteroid.
As usual, in 2020 the shower is expected to peak briefly
on the night of January 3/4.
Meteor
fans in North America can anticpate a good show to celebrate the new year
in moonless skies before tomorrow's dawn.
Free Presentation:
APOD
Editor to show best astronomy images of 2019 -- and the decade -->tonight
in NYC.
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: meteor shower
Publications with words: meteor shower
See also: