Posted in Minnesota Natural Wonders, Nature December 31, 2019 by Betsy Rathburn

Watch Up To 100 Meteors Per Hour In The First Meteor Shower Of 2020, Visible From Minnesota

As far as astronomy goes, there is a lot happening in 2020. The year is filled with supermoons and lunar eclipses, to name a few of the many astronomy events set to go down in 2020. But those aren’t the only exciting things you’ll find in the night sky. The year – and the decade – starts off with a bang in early January, when the Quadrantid meteor shower peaks. If you’re in Minnesota, you’ll be lucky enough to enjoy 100 meteors per hour at times. Read on to learn all you need to know about seeing this annual meteor shower in Minnesota in 2020:

The Quadrantid meteor shower is an annual event that takes place between the end of December and early January. This year, it began December 27 and will last until January 10.

Though you will see some meteors off-peak - usually around 25 per hour - there is a chance to see many more. The Quadrantids peak on January 3-4 and may bring up to 100 meteors per hour.

Usually, the Quadrantids are difficult to see thanks to the cloudy skies common in early January. That, combined with light from the moon, makes the meteors faint in the sky.

But this year, the moon is only going to be 58% full. If you venture away from the city, you'll have a good chance to see these shooting stars streak across the sky.

The shower will peak on the night of January 3, 2020, in the wee hours of the morning. Look for the Big Dipper, then follow the tail to a bright star called Arcturus. This is within the Bootes constellation, where you'll see the Quadrantids meteor activity.

If you can find a piece of dark sky in early January – and stay up late enough – you can catch the Quadrantid meteor shower at its peak. This spectacular show is the first meteor shower of the year!

OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article.

Address: Minnesota, USA