An annual meteor shower is going to hit its peak this week in the Chicago area, but a number of obstacles would make it more challenging for residents to catch a glimpse of the show.
The quadrantid meteor shower typically is active from late December to mid-January, with its peak occurring between Jan. 2 and 4, according to NASA scientists.
This year, that peak will occur late on Tuesday night and into Wednesday morning, according to the Adler Planetarium, but a variety of factors will make it more difficult than normal to see the spectacle.
First and foremost, the short-lived peak of the meteor shower makes it a challenge to see on a normal basis. According to NASA, the peak only lasts for a matter of hours, rather than the two-to-three day peaks of most meteor showers. That is because the Earth crosses through the remnants of Asteroid 2003 EHI at a perpendicular angle, meaning it clears through the space debris much faster.
In addition to the short-lived peak of the meteor shower, the phase of the moon will also cause some problems. With the full moon rapidly approaching, the glaring light of the waxing-gibbous moon will wash out fainter meteors, meaning that even away from city lights and under clear skies, it’s still going to be a bit trickier than usual to see the show.
That, of course, is assuming that clouds won’t spoil the show even further. With a weather system set to move through the area late Monday and into Tuesday, partly-cloudy skies are expected to remain in place through at least Wednesday morning, with thicker cloud cover possible during those times.
Forecast models haven’t locked in just how opaque or clear the sky will be, and that could also prove to be a challenge for those hoping to catch a glimpse of the Quadrantids.
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If the skies are clear, the best time to see the show will be in the time prior to sunrise on Wednesday morning, according to Adler Planetarium scientists. The moon will be much-lower on the horizon at that point, and far enough away from the radiant point of the meteor shower. Those able to get away from city lights should be able to see anywhere between 40-to-100 meteors per hour.
The Quadrantids are an annual meteor shower caused by the Earth crossing the path of Asteroid 2003 EH1, a two mile-wide asteroid that orbits the sun once every 5.52 years, according to NASA.
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The radiant point of the meteor shower is near the constellation Bootes, located near the last star in the handle of the Big Dipper, but is instead named after the now-defunct constellation Quadrans Muralis, NASA says.
