Posted in New Jersey Nature December 27, 2019 by

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

The new year (and new decade) is quickly approaching and I want to kick it off in a wonderful way. A fun or relaxing (your choice!) New Year’s Eve is a great start but I’m looking for something extra special. That may just be this meteor shower – a beautiful free show in the night sky. Read on for all the delightful details.

Meteors (or shooting stars) aren't actually stars. They are asteroids, glowing as they enter the earth's atmosphere.
kcxd/Flickr
A meteor shower is a striking celestial event in which a number of meteors are observed to radiate from one point in the night sky.
Currently in progress and peaking in January is the Quadrantid meteor shower.
Ron Lute/Flickr
The meteor shower will be visible from December 27 - January 10, with the most meteors per hour on January 3 and 4.
Your best chance of spotting meteors will occur in the hours before dawn on January 4th.
Tucker Hammerstrom/Flickr
You can expect 15-25 meteors per hour but 50 or more per hour have been observed in the past.
Where to look? The Quadrantids radiate from a point just past the handle stars of the Big Dipper.
Tom Lee/Flickr
The waxing gibbous moon will set long before dawn, meaning dark skies around 3 a.m. when the shower peaks. This improves your chances of spotting a meteor.

Head somewhere dark (or as dark as possible), bundle up and bring a hot beverage. Have a little watch party with friends and make a wish! What will you be wishing for?