Meteor Shower
Quadrantids Meteor Shower
Peak rates of about 110 meteors per hour under ideal dark skies. Radiant in Bootes.
Your local time
4 Jan 2028, 05:50
Universal time
4 Jan 2028, 00:20 UTC
Countdown
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The Quadrantids are produced by debris from Asteroid 2003 EH1. Meteors appear to radiate from a point at RA 230°, Dec 49.5°, entering the atmosphere at about 41 km/s. The quoted zenithal hourly rate of 110 assumes a radiant overhead and a perfectly dark sky; real observed rates are usually lower. No equipment is needed — lie back, let your eyes dark-adapt for 20 minutes and watch a wide patch of sky.
Observation details
- Visibility
- Visible
- Best viewing time
- 4 Jan 2028, 05:50
- Direction to look
- NE · azimuth 46°
- Altitude at peak
- 50.5°
- Equipment
- Naked Eye
- Zenithal hourly rate
- ~110/hr
- Parent
- Asteroid 2003 EH1
- Entry velocity
- 41 km/s
- Solar longitude at peak
- 283.15°
The object is 51° above your NE horizon in a dark sky.
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Photography & observing tips
- •Give your eyes at least 20 minutes to dark-adapt and avoid white light entirely.
- •Look about 40° away from the radiant rather than straight at it — meteors there leave longer trails.
- •For photography use a fast wide lens at f/2.8 or wider, 15–25 second exposures, and shoot continuously.
Event timeline
Times shown in your local timezone, computed from the event geometry.
Activity ramps up
30 Dec 2027, 05:50 · 30 Dec 2027, 00:20 UTC
Peak
4 Jan 2028, 05:50 · 4 Jan 2028, 00:20 UTC
Activity fades
9 Jan 2028, 05:50 · 9 Jan 2028, 00:20 UTC
Other meteor shower events
The nearest occurrences before and after this one.