Quadrantid meteor shower 2027
The Quadrantids return on 28 December and peak on the night of 3 to 4 January 2027. From New York the best time that night is about 02:40 EST, with up to 21 meteors an hour from a dark site.
The peak night around the world
The best time to watch on the peak night in twelve cities, each worked out for that city's own sky, with the meteors an hour you can expect from a dark site and where the Moon is at that time. Times are local.
| Place | Peak night | Best time | Meteors an hourfrom a dark site | Moon then |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LondonUnited Kingdom | 3–4 Jan | 03:30 GMT | up to 76 | 12% lit, down |
| New YorkUnited States | 3–4 Jan | 02:40 EST | up to 21 | 11% lit, down |
| Los AngelesUnited States | 3–4 Jan | 03:20 PST | 9 to 10 | 10% lit, down |
| TorontoCanada | 3–4 Jan | 02:40 EST | up to 20 | 11% lit, down |
| SydneyAustralia | 3–4 Jan | Radiant too low | none | 16% lit, down |
| DelhiIndia | 3–4 Jan | 05:50 IST | up to 36 | 13% lit, up |
| TokyoJapan | 3–4 Jan | 05:20 JST | up to 15 | 14% lit, up |
| BerlinGermany | 3–4 Jan | 04:25 CET | up to 86 | 12% lit, down |
| RomeItaly | 3–4 Jan | 04:30 CET | up to 80 | 12% lit, down |
| JohannesburgSouth Africa | 3–4 Jan | Radiant too low | none | 13% lit, down |
| São PauloBrazil | 3–4 Jan | Radiant too low | none | 12% lit, down |
| DubaiUnited Arab Emirates | 3–4 Jan | 05:40 GST | up to 47 | 13% lit, up |
Peak night in New York, hour by hour
Shower meteors an hour you can expect from a dark site through the peak night, after allowing for the radiant's height, twilight and the Moon. A suburb shows roughly a third to a half of that, a city centre roughly a tenth to a fifth.
Where to look
The Quadrantid radiant lies in Boötes, between the end of the handle of the Plough (the Big Dipper) and the head of Draco. From New York it rises at 21:00, and at the best time on the peak night, 02:40, it is 32° up in the north-east. Face that way and look about halfway up.
- Quadrantids appear anywhere. Near the radiant they are short; far from it they leave long trails. Trace any of them back and it points to a spot just past the end of the Plough's handle.
- Give your eyes 20 minutes to adapt to the dark, and keep your phone on the Meteor Tracker's red-light field mode.
- Lie back on a reclining chair rather than craning your neck. No telescope or binoculars needed.
- Watch for at least half an hour. Meteors come in bursts, with quiet spells in between.
About the Quadrantids
Every January, Earth runs through the dust of 2003 EH1, a dark body a few kilometres across that may be what is left of a comet. The grains hit the air at about 41 km/s and burn up high overhead. At the peak the Quadrantids can bring as many meteors as the Perseids, many of them bright.
The radiant sits in the north of Boötes, between the end of the handle of the Plough (the Big Dipper) and the head of Draco. It is far north in the sky, so from the UK, northern Europe and Canada it never sets: it is low in the north in the evening and climbs high in the east before dawn, which is when the most meteors fall. From the southern hemisphere the radiant stays low or never rises, so the Quadrantids are a northern shower.
The peak is the shortest of the major showers: the best rates last only a few hours, so how strong the show looks depends on where the peak falls in your night. The name comes from Quadrans Muralis, an old constellation that is no longer used, in the part of the sky that is now northern Boötes. Early January nights are long and cold, so dress warmly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Plan around the Moon: tonight's moonrise and moonset times for your town are on Moonrise Tonight.