These are the first shooting star showers of 2024: The Quadrantids will light up the skies of Picardy from New Year's Eve to Friday, January 5, 2024.
Where do the Quadrantids come from?
The Quadrantid swarm, thought to have originated from comet Konzik-Peltier, is known for its bright and colorful fireballs, explains Sciences et Vie.
According to the International Meteorological Organization, the peak of the shooting star shower is expected on the night of Wednesday to Thursday. It could even briefly reach 200 meteors per hour!
Also read Geminids: When and how to watch this shower of shooting stars?
When should you watch them?
Be careful, however: to enjoy the show you need to be attentive, as the peak of the meteor shower lasts only 6 hours that night. Even the overcast sky doesn't make the task any easier.
To view it in the best possible conditions, Science et Vie recommends staying away from light pollution and looking towards the constellation Bouvier, just below the Big Dipper, before midnight. If you're lucky, you can see up to 25 shooting stars per hour!
If cloudy skies spoil the party, don't panic, a shower of shooting stars, the Minorids γ-Ursae, is expected from January 19th!
Also read Origin, Thomas Pesquet, planned crash… Five things you should know about the ISS, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary