The first starfall of the new year and the biggest Sun on January 4th
Flying from December 28 to January 12, the Quadrantid meteor shower reaches its greatest intensity on the night of January 4, the press service of the Moscow Planetarium reports.
The Quadrantid meteor shower is known for its bright "fireballs". They are longer and brighter than ordinary meteors because they originate from larger debris. According to NASA, an average of 80 meteors per hour can be observed at the peak, sweeping through the Earth's atmosphere at a speed of about 41 km/s.
According to experts, the number of "shooting stars" during the first starfall of 202Z will reach 110. In clear weather, you can observe up to two burning meteors per minute.
However, the conditions for observing the Quadrantids are complicated by the Moon, tending to a full moon, and yet "fireballs" can be seen in the night sky.
The starfall can be observed in the morning, before dawn. To see the meteor shower, you need to look towards the northeastern horizon of the sky.
The quadrantids flying out of the constellation of Volopas are distinguished by a large number of weak meteors and an average rate of fall. The next major meteor shower after the Quadrantids in 2023 will be the Lyrids. The period of their activity will fall on April 15-29, and the maximum is expected on April 22 and 23.
These are not all the astronomical surprises of the beginning of the year. On January 4, the Earth will be in perihelion, at the closest distance from the Sun, which will allow you to see the largest disk of the Sun in 2023.
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