As one of the three major meteor showers in the northern hemisphere, the Quadrantid meteor shower is the first important celestial event at the beginning of 2023. According to astronomical science experts, on January 4, the Quadrantids meteor shower will reach its climax. Fans who like meteor showers can expect to enjoy the shocking scene of bright bolide piercing the night sky.
Poster production: Feng Juan
This is a bright bolide in the Quadrantid meteor shower (time-lapse exposure) photographed by Tianjin astronomy enthusiast Liu Yuan in Jizhou District, Tianjin on January 4, 2022.
Quadrant is an ancient constellation name, which was founded by French astronomer Lalande in 1795. In 1928, the International Astronomical Union canceled it when confirming the 88 modern constellations and merged it into Draco, Boötes, Hercules and other constellations. However, the name Quadranti was preserved in another way, that is, the meteor shower. The radiant point of the Quadrantid meteor shower is located in the area adjacent to the constellations Draco, Boötes, and Hercules, in the direction of the handle of the Big Dipper .
This is the Quadrantid meteor shower (multiple pictures superimposed) taken by Rao Xiaoshu, a member of the Nebula Club of Zhongguancun No. 2 Primary School in Haidian District, Beijing, on January 4, 2022, in Yanqing District, Beijing.
Yang Jing, a member of the Chinese Astronomical Society and director of the Tianjin Astronomical Society, said that the Quadrantids meteor shower has a medium speed and high brightness, and very bright bolide meteors will appear. Fireballs emit brighter light, and their trails are longer and more persistent than ordinary meteors, making them highly ornamental. Since the radiant point of this meteor shower does not rise until later in the night, more meteors can be seen after midnight.
The active period of the Quadrantid meteor shower is from December 28 to January 12 of the following year. The peak value is between January 3 and 4. The hourly zenith flow rate (ZHR) can reach 110. Unlike other meteor showers that have a long maximum duration, the Quadrantid meteor shower has a very short peak duration, and the number of meteors will drop off a "cliff" after the maximum.
Astronomical forecast shows that the Quadrantids meteor shower in 2023 is expected to peak at 11:40 Beijing time on January 4. Since it is close to noon, the maximum time is not conducive to viewing. Meteor shower enthusiasts can try to observe from after midnight on January 3 to before dawn on the 4th. Although the waxing gibbous moon of that night will affect the observation and greatly reduce the number of meteors that can actually be seen, fortunately, the bright fireballs that may appear in the meteor shower are not afraid of the moonlight and will leave dazzling traces in the night sky.
This is the Quadrantid meteor shower (multiple pictures superimposed) taken by Liu Chengshan, an astronomy enthusiast from Heilongjiang Province, in Daqing City, Heilongjiang Province on January 4, 2022.
Yang Jing reminded that because meteors can appear from any place in the sky, you should try your best to choose a place with a wide field of vision and away from urban light pollution for visual counting and observation. When observing, choose a direction facing away from the moon to avoid moonlight entering your sight. Friends who like to shoot meteor showers remember to set the camera exposure time to more than 5 seconds, adjust the sensitivity, and shoot continuously. Since the temperature is very low at night, be careful to keep warm when watching and photographing meteor showers.
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