Quadrantids 2027: The First Major Meteor Shower of the Year
The Quadrantids are considered one of the top three meteor showers of the year. In 2027, the meteor shower peaks on the night of January 3 to 4, under a thin waning crescent Moon that won’t spoil the view. Use the Sky Tonight app to find out when the Quadrantids’ radiant is high in your sky and catch the most shooting stars.
Contents
- Quadrantids 2027: When and where to see
- What is the Quadrantid meteor shower?
- The Quadrantids 2027: Conclusion
Quadrantids 2027: When and where to see
- Active: December 28 – January 12
- Peak of activity: January 4, around 3:30 GMT/UTC
- Meteors/hour: 120
- Moon illumination: thin waning crescent
- Radiant location: Constellation Bootes
- Parent body: Asteroid 2003 EH1
- Visible from: Northern Hemisphere (best viewed in Europe and Western Asia)
- Description: The Quadrantids are one of the year’s strongest meteor showers, capable of producing over 100 meteors per hour. They are known for bright fireballs, but their peak is brief, so timing matters more than usual.
Quadrantids 2027: Visibility forecast
The Quadrantid meteor shower is predicted to peak at around 3:30 GMT/UTC on January 4, 2027. The peak will last only about six hours, so timing is especially important.
This timing is favorable for Europe and Western Asia, where the radiant will be well placed in the sky around the predicted maximum. The best viewing conditions are expected in eastern Europe, the Baltics, western Russia, Turkey, the Caucasus, and parts of the Middle East, where the radiant will be high above the horizon before dawn.
Western Europe also gets a good observing window: the peak occurs during the dark pre-dawn hours, with the Sun still well below the horizon. However, the radiant will be lower there, especially in southern regions such as Spain and Portugal, so meteor rates may be reduced. Even so, the shower is still worth watching.
Farther east, morning twilight or daylight will begin to interfere with visibility. In those locations, try to watch as close to the predicted peak as possible, and continue observing for another hour or two before the sky grows too bright.
Moonlight won’t be a major problem this year. The Moon will be a thin waning crescent, so the sky should stay dark enough for a good view of the meteors.
To maximize your chances of seeing the Quadrantids, find a dark location away from city lights and observe from after midnight until the pre-dawn hours of January 4. Under ideal conditions, the shower can produce up to 120 meteors per hour, but the strongest activity is brief, so don’t wait too long. You may also catch a few bright fireballs streaking across the sky.
What time is the Quadrantid meteor shower 2027?
The Quadrantids are known for their sharp, short-lived peak — only about six hours long. In 2027, the peak is expected around 03:30 GMT/UTC on January 4. If the shower’s radiant is already high in your sky at that time, consider yourself lucky — you’ll catch the best part of the show.
Where can I see the Quadrantids?
The Quadrantids favor observers in the Northern Hemisphere because their radiant lies far north on the sky’s dome — in the now-defunct constellation Quadrans Muralis, which once occupied a region between Bootes and Draco. The radiant rises in the north-northeast around midnight and reaches its highest point before dawn. From the Southern Hemisphere, only a few meteors may be visible because the radiant stays low or below the horizon.
Use the Sky Tonight app to see when the Quadrantids’ radiant is above the horizon for your exact location and when the Moon is lowest. The radiant point will help you aim your gaze, but remember: meteors can appear anywhere in the sky.
Find out more useful tips on observing and photographing meteor showers in our colorful infographic.
What is the Quadrantid meteor shower?
Although less famous than the Perseids and Geminids, the Quadrantids are actually one of the “big three” meteor showers on the planet Earth. In comparison, the hourly rate of meteors for the Perseids is 100; however, the Quadrantids can reach even more than 100 meteors per hour. So why are the other two popular every year, and the Quadrantids not?
In the Northern Hemisphere, where the shower is best observed, early January weather is often cold, so hunting for “shooting stars” can be uncomfortable. In the Southern Hemisphere, the Quadrantids are much harder to see because the radiant stays low in the sky, and in far-southern latitudes it may not rise at all. Meteors in this stream are often bright and fast, but because of the short peak and less-than-ideal observing conditions, the shower usually appears less impressive than the Perseids or the Geminids.
What is the source of the Quadrantid meteor shower?
The source of the Quadrantids was uncertain until 2003, when astronomer Peter Jenniskens concluded that the parent body of this meteor shower is the asteroid 2003 EH1. In turn, 2003 EH1 might be related to the comet C/1490 Y1, which was observed by Chinese, Japanese, and Korean astronomers 500 years ago. If 2003 EH1 is indeed the Quadrantids’ parent body, then this stream is the second major one, along with the Geminids, that originates from an asteroid rather than a comet.
What does the Quadrantid mean?
All meteor showers take their names from the constellations where their radiant points lie. But the Quadrantids seem to be the exception because their radiant point is located in the constellation Bootes, near the Big Dipper asterism. So where did this name come from?
This January's major meteor shower is named after an old and now unused constellation called Quadrans Muralis. It was introduced by the French astronomer Jérôme Lalande in 1795. Along with a few other constellations, Quadrans Muralis was removed from the list of modern constellations in 1922. Most of Quadrans Muralis ended up in Bootes, but the Quadrantids kept its name, most likely because there's already a minor shower emanating from Bootes during January — the Bootids.
The Quadrantids 2027: Conclusion
The Quadrantids, the first major meteor shower of 2027, peak on January 4 at around 03:30 GMT/UTC. This year’s conditions are favorable, as the thin waning crescent Moon won’t wash out the meteors. Under dark skies, you may be able to catch up to 120 meteors per hour! However, the meteor shower’s peak is very short, so plan ahead, find a dark observing spot, and use the Sky Tonight app to check when the radiant is highest in your sky.
Happy meteor-watching!
