Millions of Britons will be able to witness a striking celestial event starting tonight, as the Quadrantids meteor shower streaks across UK skies on Friday night.
Some can see as many as 120 flying space rocks per hour at its height in what Royal Museums Greenwich describes as “one of the strongest and most consistent meteor showers of the year”.
NASA says the Quadrantids peak in early January each year. In most cases, meteor showers have a peak lasting two days, giving people plenty of opportunity to get a good look.
However, the peak of the Quadrantids lasts only a few hours. According to NASA, this is because of “the shower’s thin stream of particles and the fact that the Earth crosses the stream at a perpendicular angle”.
Quadrantids also bring bright fireball meteors, which are larger, brighter, and more long-lasting for viewers than your typical meteor streak, as per Liverpool Echo.
The meteor shower occurs between December 28, 2024, and January 12, 2025, when our planet moves through debris left by the asteroid 2003 EH1. The official peak is at 3am on January 4.
The cosmic light show is best viewed in the Northern Hemisphere at night and in the hours before dawn. It’s most visible in darker areas away from city or street lights.
NASA recommends that those planning to watch allow their eyes to adjust to the darkness of the night sky for about half an hour to see them more clearly.
“Come prepared for winter weather with a sleeping bag, blanket, or lawn chair,” the space agency says on its website, adding: “Lie flat on your back with your feet facing northeast and look up, taking in as much of the sky as possible.”
According to BBC Weather, after a cloudy period over the festive break, most parts of the UK are expected to see skies on Thursday and Friday night.
“Wintry showers in northern Scotland will hide the view of the sky at times on Thursday night, with some of those showers spreading south into Northern Ireland, north-west England and north Wales later,” the outlet says.
“On Friday night some of you will be wanting an early meteor display as cloud increases from the south-west.”
Meteor seekers are advised to wrap up warm as much colder conditions arrive. The Arctic air across the country may make for better viewing conditions but will also bring a considerable chill.
Meanwhile, yellow weather warnings for ice and snow are in place across the country, as well as UKHSA cold weather health amber alerts, which likely increase deaths, particularly among those aged 65 and above or with health conditions.