Thanks for the heads up Sandy. I don't know whether it will be the same on the east coast, but will check to find out.
Posted by Lisa Cuchara on January 3, 2012 at 1:39 AM
Because of the location of the radiant, at the northern tip of the constellation Bootes, only northern hemisphere skywatchers will be able to see Quadrantids.
http://www.space.com/14092-quadrantid-meteor-shower-peaks-january-4.html
Posted by Lisa Cuchara on January 3, 2012 at 1:40 AM
From the eastern half of North America, a single observer might count on seeing as many as 50-to-100 "Quads" in a single hour.
This meteor shower reaches its peak in the predawn hours of Jan. 4 for eastern North America. The Quadrantid meteor shower is a very short-lived meteor display, whose peak rates only last several hours. The phase of the moon is a bright waxing gibbous, normally prohibitive for viewing any meteor shower, but the moon will set by 3 a.m., leaving the sky dark for a few hours until the first light of dawn; that's when you'll have the best shot at seeing many of these bluish-hued meteors.
From the western half of the continent the display will be on the wane by the time the moon sets, with hourly rates probably diminishing to around 25 to 50 meteors.
Discussion
3 replieshttp://news.yahoo.com/quadrantid-meteor-shower-first-2012-may-dazzle-early-140503094.html
http://www.space.com/14092-quadrantid-meteor-shower-peaks-january-4.html
This meteor shower reaches its peak in the predawn hours of Jan. 4 for eastern North America. The Quadrantid meteor shower is a very short-lived meteor display, whose peak rates only last several hours. The phase of the moon is a bright waxing gibbous, normally prohibitive for viewing any meteor shower, but the moon will set by 3 a.m., leaving the sky dark for a few hours until the first light of dawn; that's when you'll have the best shot at seeing many of these bluish-hued meteors.
From the western half of the continent the display will be on the wane by the time the moon sets, with hourly rates probably diminishing to around 25 to 50 meteors.