The coming days will bring spectacular phenomena in the sky. Tonight we will be able to watch the Quadrantids flying over our heads – the first meteor shower this year. On Saturday evening, Saturn will be covered by the Moon.
The beginning of the year brings extraordinary views in the sky. In the first days of January, we were able to watch it twice aurora borealis. However, this is not the end of spectacular events, today, i.e. on the night from Friday to Saturday, we will be able to admire the Quadrantids swarm flying across the sky. On Saturday evening, we will watch the occultation of Saturn by the Moon.
What are the Quadrantids?
The Quadrantids is a meteor shower that is active during the first week of January. Its maximum, i.e. the greatest activity this year, falls on the night from January 3 to 4. The shower's name comes from the now-defunct Wall Constellation, and its source is planetoid 2003 EH1, which is suspected to be the extinct nucleus of the old comet C/1490 Y1.
The Quadrantids radiant (the point from which meteors from a given shower “leave” in the sky) is located in the spring sky, in the upper part of the Boötes constellation – a bit “behind” the shaft of the Big Dipper.
Quadrantids – when to watch
As Karol Wójcicki describes in his profile “With my head in the stars”, the Quadrantids are best observed in the second half of the night, and even just before dawn.
“Then the radiant will be 'hanging' at 70 degrees above the horizon, which makes it the highest radiant among the radiants of the 'Great Meteor Trinity' (Perseids, Geminids and Quadrantids – editor's note). This fact will directly translate into the number of observed meteors. At a high radiant position, the observed number of phenomena is closest to the so-called ZHR, which in the case of the Quadrantids is approx. 120 meteors per hour. – writes the astronomy popularizer.
At the same time, the Quadrantids are moving very slowly, about 41 km/s. This will make it easier to capture them in photos.
Occultation of Saturn by the Moon
Another spectacular phenomenon will occur on Saturday. In the early evening hours, the Silver Globe will slowly begin to cover Saturn. The event is so unique that the next such situation will not take place until 2031. The spectacle can be seen with the naked eye, but a better view will be provided with binoculars or a telescope.
“With your head in the stars”, nocneniebo.pl
Main photo source: Shutterstock