The First Meteor Shower Of 2024 Arrives Thursday!

The First Meteor Shower Of 2024 Arrives Thursday!

The first meteor shower of 2024 will arrive very quickly. The Quadrantid meteor shower will peak Wednesday night into Thursday morning, with up to 120 shooting stars visible per hour! The best time to observe it in North America is between 5am and dawn the morning of Thursday, Jan. 4th.

So, what’s the story with this “Quadrantid” meteor event?  Apparently, a large comet was captured into the gravitational orbit of our sun about 2,000 BC.  So that puts it about 4,000 years old (a relative newcomer, as far as celestial anomalies go).  You can find out more at EarthSky.org. Here in the central Texas Panhandle, other than being way out in the country, Wildcat Bluff is probably the best spot for sky-gazing, especially if your aim is to avoid the inherent light pollution from the city.

Do you ever go stargazing? 

What’s your stargazing spot?