The Holsinger Meteorite, Photo by Richard Elliott
The first meteor shower for 2012 will occur in the dark morning hours of January 4. It is the Quadrantid shower, visible near the end of the handle of the Big Dipper constellation. According to EarthSky.org (http://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/earthskys-meteor-meteor-shower-guide) “Although the Quadrantids can produce over 100 meteors per hour, the sharp peak only lasts for a few hours, and doesn’t always come at an opportune time.” EarthSky is referring to being in the right place at the right time. Predictions call for the meteor shower to appear better positioned “for those in the eastern North America, the North Atlantic and possibly western Europe,” according to EarthSky. It is worth noting that most predictions are not exactly right, since meteor showers are quite unpredictable.
However, should we have clear skies, those living outside of the city lights, in the Mohave Desert, or high mountains, should have a fairly good meteor shower viewing, even with the waxing gibbous moon. Moonlight ruined most of the meteor showers for 2011, along with cloudy skies. Since most meteor showers for 2012 will occur with little or no moon, this year’s show of falling stars should be quite promising.
Be sure to dress warmly and drink warm beverages. To view the shower more comfortably, sit in a reclining outdoor lounger, or chairs with back and head support. Telescopes or binoculars are not necessary for viewing the Quadrantid meteors. Just sit and relax, watching skyward to the northeast and near the tail of the Big Dipper.
Most falling stars are between the size of a grain of sand, a pea, or small stone. Rarely are they as large as the fragment shown in the photo above. The Holsinger Meteor is the largest fragment found from the 150-foot meteor that created Meteor Crater, AZ.
Let’s hope the first meteor shower of 2012 is a sign of how the remaining meteor storms will be for this year. Happy viewing.
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