The first meteor shower of 2025, which NASA considers to be one of the best annual showers, is expected to peak in activity Thursday night, with hundreds of meteors expected to light up the night sky if weather conditions are favorable.
The Quadrantids have been active since December 26, 2024, and will continue until January 16, though the meteor shower will peak Thursday night and Friday morning, with up to 25 meteors per hour, according to the American Meteor Society.
The Quadrantids can produce up to 200 meteors per hour, but the average weather conditions in January make meteors difficult to see, according to NASA.
The Quadrantids, first observed in 1825, are caused by debris from the asteroid 2003 EH1—a comet about 2 miles wide—entering Earth’s atmosphere and causing large explosions of light and color.
The Quadrantid meteor shower is named after the Quadrans Muralis, a now-defunct constellation used by astronomers in the 18th century, but the meteors appear to originate near the Big Dipper.
The Quadrantids are most visible in the Northern Hemisphere, and NASA recommends going to a dark area and lying flat on your back with your feet facing northeast for about 30 minutes to allow your eyes to adjust before seeing meteors.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, some states, including Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Ohio, Michigan, Maine, Tennessee, and parts of Pennsylvania and New York, will have dense cloud coverage Thursday night, making it difficult to see the shower.
What’s The Best Way To See The Meteor Shower?
The Quadrantids are most visible in the Northern Hemisphere, and NASA recommends going to a dark area and lying flat on your back with your feet facing northeast for about 30 minutes to allow your eyes to adjust before seeing meteors.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicts dense cloud cover in some states, including Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Ohio, Michigan, Maine, Tennessee, and parts of Pennsylvania and New York, making it difficult to see the shower Thursday night.
When Can I See The Meteor Shower?
Meteors are expected to appear in the sky as the sun sets around 5 p.m. EST, with a peak lasting through the night and into early Friday morning, according to the American Meteor Society.
Key Background
The Quadrantids are the first of nine annual meter showers with the most activity in the night sky, preceding the Lyrids in April. Quadrantids are known for their fireball meteors, which emit light and color for longer periods of time and are three times brighter than the average meteor.
According to NASA, meteors during the Quadrantids travel at about 25 miles per second and have a shorter peak than other annual meteor showers due to the Earth’s trajectory with the shower.
Tangent
According to the agency, the northern lights will become more visible in 2025 due to the sun’s “solar maximum” in October 2024. Forecasters expect this peak to last until early 2026.