LONG ISLAND, NY — The first shooting star show of 2024, the Quadrantids, could treat sky watchers to as many as 120 meteors an hour during this week's brief peak, weather permitting on Long Island.
The peak of the Quadrantid meteor shower is so short – only six hours – and can occur during daylight hours. This year, the shower peaks at 7:53 AM. eastern time on Thursday. For the best chance of seeing shooting stars, find a dark sky and start watching around 4:53 AM.
But Long Islanders may not have much of a chance to see the meteor shower: The National Weather Service forecast for Long Island calls for cloudy skies at that time, starting at 2 a.m. until sunrise. Skies are expected to clear by about mid-morning, unless that break in clouds comes sooner, the NWS said.
With their high percentages and potential for glowing fireballs, the Quadrispheres are worth going out to see despite the short window of time to see them – that's because they come from a thin debris stream that crosses the Earth at a right angle , according to NASA. Fireballs are larger bursts of light and color that can last longer than the average meteor streak.
The Quadrantids “have the potential to be the strongest shower of the year,” according to the American Meteor Society, but because of the short peak and often poor weather in January, it is sometimes overlooked. Even in bad weather, about 25 shooting stars per hour can be seen under dark skies.
The moon will be about half full at the peak of the shower, but the American Meteor Society suggests “blocking the moon with a tree or building and looking toward the northern half of the sky.”
The Quadrantids offer the last chance to see a shooting star show until the Lyrid meteor shower, which peaks on April 22-23.
