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The First Meteor Shower Of 2020 Will Be Seen On Friday, Here Are All The Details

byAkanksha Agarwal
31st December 2019
2 minute read

A new year is a time for new beginnings and we’re all set to ring in 2020 with some realistic resolutions. These include getting more sunshine and gazing at the night sky to lift our spirits and appreciate nature. So, what better way to achieve it than making plans to see the 3 major meteor showers of the year?

2020 promises spectacular views of the Quadrantids in January, Perseids in August, and Geminids in December. And here is everything we need to know about the first one.

According to The Guardian, the Quadrantid Meteor Shower will peak between midnight on January 3 to early dawn on January 4, 2020. Unlike the ring of fire eclipse, these shooting stars can be seen with the naked eye. No binoculars or telescopes needed as they tend to produce “fireballs” in the dark sky.

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Cosmic Reflections. Meteor showers are one of nature's most magical displays. Fleeting streaks of light, dancing through the night sky. You stay up all night, eyes wide open, and just wonder at our amazing world. When I realized that the Quadrantids were forecast to be 2019's best meteor shower, I immediately began looking for dark sky locations near home. An overnight train ride took me to the rocky landscapes of Hampi, strewn with hidden 7th century ruins of the Vijayanagara Kingdom. Crossing the Tungabhadra river on a ferry, I checked my dark sky map, and headed away from civilization. Couple of sweltering hours later, I reached the Sanapur lake, and rented a tiny shack, perched on a granite boulder. Dozing in a hammock strung in a tall eucalyptus forest, I waited for dusk. I have made many friends on @instagram but have rarely met them in real life. @nitishwaila and I are both obsessed with mountains and astrophotography, and have had many fascinating discussions on how to photograph the night sky. When I realized that he was near Hampi, we realized that the Quadrantid meteor shower would be the perfect time to meet up. At night Nitish, @eksafar and I packed some snacks, our gear, a thermos of hot tea, and set out to a spot overlooking the lake. The wind had died down, and the lake was a perfect mirror, reflecting the glittering sky! By 3am we had pretty much given up on the meteor shower, having seen only a couple of meteors so far. Then, @eksafar saw her first meteor in her life! And the magic began. Over the next two hours we saw hundreds of meteors, a true cosmic shower! This image is a composite of the 8 best meteors that my camera managed to capture. Occasional gusts of wind sent ripples flying over the lake, and I only managed to catch a single meteor reflected in the water. There were so many stars in the sky, that it is easier to identify the constellations in the reflections. The bright star above the reflected meteor is Polaris, the north star. To the bottom right, is Ursa Major, the great bear. #WHPwanderlust

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EarthSky reports that regions in the Northern Hemisphere are best suited to view the celestial event. It further explains that they were named after the constellation Quadrans Muralis created by French astronomer Jerome Lalande in 1795. However, the constellation in question no longer exists.

Furthermore, their parent body is thought to be the asteroid 2003 EH1. NASA believes this asteroid to be a “dead comet” but some astronomers think it might have some connection with the comet C/1490 Y1 observed 500 years ago.

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Essentially, our planet passes through this intriguing cloud of debris and dust every year while orbiting around the sun and that’s what causes the meteor shower. Here are some pictures of the phenomenon from 2019.

Who knew that space dust from an unknown rocky object could produce such beautiful shotting stars for us to see?

Representative Featured Image Source

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