The Quadrantids will be the first shooting star show of 2024 and Long Island sky gazers could see up to 120 meteors an hour during this week’s short peak, weather conditions permitting.
The meteor shower peak is brief — only six hours — and can occur in daylight hours. This year, the shower will peak at 7:53 a.m. Eastern Time on Thursday, but there will be other opportunities.
Unfortunately, the skies over Long Island are expected to be overcast at that time, and are not expected to clear until about mid-morning, unless that break in the clouds comes earlier, the NWS said.
The Quadrantids are well worth going outside to see, with their promise of potential for bright fireballs and prolific display. Fireballs are larger explosions of light and color that can persist 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 conditions in January, it’s sometimes overlooked. Even during poor weather conditions, about 25 shooting stars an hour may be visible under dark skies.
The moon will be about half full at the shower’s peak, but the American Meteor Society suggests “blocking the moon with a tree or building and viewing 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 April 22-23.
For a 2024 guide, see here.
