Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Sky Guy Viewing ALERT: Jan 3-4 Meteor Shower

Hey Space Placers!!

Bundle up and put the hot chocolate on. The Quadrantid Meteor Shower is predicted to peak between 2 and 3 a.m. on the morning of the 4th; the Moon will set at around 3 a.m. so the conditions will be good for the East Coast of the U.S. to see 1 to 2 meteors a minute. You should find a spot free of lights and trees that has a good view of the northeast sky. Keeping warm is a major comfort factor and therefore affects your viewing pleasure so dress in layers and try to keep off the ground by using a reclining chair.

The best time to observe on the U.S. East Coast will be from 3 a.m. to the onset of morning twilight - around 6 a.m. For our international friends, depending on where you are, try to figure out your viewing conditions based on the predicted peak time and your sky-Moon-dawn configuration.

The meteors you will see that are part of the "Quads" trace back to the Constellation Bootes and are from a dead comet-now asteroid just like the Geminids.

Read More ABout It: http://www.skyandtelescope.com/about/pressreleases/136399178.html

Quadrantid meteor finder chart
Sky & Telescope Magazine

Sky Guy in VA

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