What's happened
The Quadrantid meteor shower peaks tonight into Saturday morning, with fewer meteors visible due to Saturday's supermoon. Typically seen from the Northern Hemisphere, the shower offers around 25 meteors per hour in dark skies, but this time fewer are expected because of the bright moonlight.
What's behind the headline?
The coincidence of the Quadrantid meteor shower with a supermoon significantly reduces observable meteors, as the moon's brightness drowns out fainter shooting stars. This event highlights how lunar brightness impacts astronomical observations. Despite the reduced display, early evening and dawn remain optimal times for viewing, away from city lights. The upcoming lull in supermoons until late 2026 means future meteor showers will have better visibility conditions. This alignment underscores the importance of lunar phases in planning skywatching activities and may influence public interest in astronomy during such events. The event also demonstrates how natural celestial phenomena can temporarily obscure spectacular displays, reminding observers of the delicate balance between cosmic events and Earth's atmospheric conditions.
What the papers say
Both The Independent and AP News report that the Quadrantid meteor shower peaks this weekend, but the supermoon’s brightness will likely reduce the number of visible meteors. The Independent emphasizes that in dark skies, around 25 meteors per hour are typical, but this time fewer will be seen due to the supermoon. AP News notes that the event marks the end of a four-month streak of supermoons, with the next not expected until late 2026. The reports highlight the impact of lunar brightness on meteor visibility and advise skywatchers to observe early evening or dawn hours away from city lights. While both sources agree on the timing and general effects, The Independent provides more detail on how to best observe the shower and the nature of supermoons, whereas AP News focuses on the broader lunar cycle context.
How we got here
Meteor showers occur when Earth passes through streams of cosmic debris, causing space rocks to burn up in the atmosphere. The Quadrantids originate from asteroid 2003 EH1 and are usually visible from the Northern Hemisphere. Supermoons happen when the full moon is closer to Earth, appearing larger and brighter, which can hinder visibility of celestial events.
Go deeper
More on these topics
-
Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. According to radiometric dating estimation and other evidence, Earth formed over 4.5 billion years ago.
-
A supermoon is a full moon or a new moon that nearly coincides with perigee—the closest that the Moon comes to the Earth in its elliptic orbit—resulting in a slightly larger-than-usual apparent size of the lunar disk as viewed from Earth.