The first -- and one of the best -- meteor showers of 2019 is set to peak later this week. Thursday night, the Quadrantid meteor shower will produce a dazzling display in the sky for parts of the globe. The key word in that sentence is "parts." Unlike the Perseids and Geminids, the peak for this particular shower only lasts several hours. That means you have to be in the right place on the globe at the right time to actually see an amazing show because the window is so short. Depending on where you are, the Quadrantid meteor shower can produce as many as 50-100 meteors per hour if conditions are ideal. This year, the peak is set to occur at 9 p.m. EST Thursday evening, according to the
International Meteor Organization. That favors Europe for having the best chance at seeing the most shooting stars because it'll be well after midnight there.
Still, the United States will see plenty of shooting stars. That includes the Midwest and right here in Michiana! If you venture out away from city lights Thursday evening and night and look for the Big Dipper, your chances of seeing a healthy amount of shooting stars are pretty good. Moonlight will be non-existent as the moon will be in its "new" phase. Additionally, Mother Nature will actually cooperate for once. Skies will likely be mainly to entirely clear in Michiana and surrounding parts of Indiana, Michigan and Illinois. The combination of those two factors will allow for a great show of meteors Thursday night. It's important to remember that we likely won't see 50-100 meteors each hour in the United States, but the potential is there to see up to 50 depending on when exactly the peak occurs. You don't need any special gear to view the shower, but be sure to give your eyes 15-30 minutes to adjust to the darkness when heading out!
