Peak of Quadrantid meteor shower
January 3, 2012 in the World
The maximum of the Quadrantid activity in 2012 is expected during the night of the 3rd January 2012. The Quadrantids are an easily visible January meteor shower. The peak intensity is exceedingly sharp: the meteor rates exceed one-half of their highest value for only about 8 hours (compared to two days for the August Perseids). This means that the stream of particles that produces this shower is narrow - and apparently deriving from and within the last 500-years from some orbiting body. The parent body of the Quadrantids was recently tentatively identified as the minor planet 2003 EH1, which in turn may be the same object as the comet C/1490 Y1 which was observed by Chinese, Japanese and Korean astronomers 500 years ago.The radiant of this shower is an area inside the constellation Boötes. The name comes from Quadrans Muralis, an obsolete constellation that is now part of Boötes. It lies between the end of the handle of the Big Dipper and the quadrilateral of stars marking the head of the constellation Draco. (From: Wikipedia, license: CCA-SA)
The skyWorld
When?
Tuesday, the 3rd of January 2012
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