The three major meteor showers of the year: the Quadrantids

By MOOK Scenic Spots Editorial Team, compiled and reported

The Quadrantids are one of the three major meteor showers of the year. This year, their peak is expected around 10:00 PM on January 3 (Tuesday), with the radiant point located in the head of the Boötes constellation, rising from the northeast around midnight. This meteor shower not only features a high number of meteors but also very bright ones. This year, the event coincides with the sixth day of the lunar calendar, during the first quarter moon phase, resulting in minimal moonlight interference and excellent viewing conditions — making it well worth watching this spectacular meteor shower display.

[Getting to Know the Constellation Quadrans Muralis]

The constellation Quadrans Muralis is located between Hercules, Boötes, and Draco. In 1795, the former Soviet astronomer La Lande and his nephew Michel Le Francais, while conducting a series of stellar position observations using an instrument called the "quadrant," coined this constellation name. However, it was later not adopted by modern astronomy and is therefore not among the official 88 constellations, though it is still used as a "common name." The radiant point of the Quadrantid meteor shower is situated near the head of the Boötes constellation.