In early January, an interesting astronomical event—the Quadrantids meteor shower—will be observed, the Department of Astrophysics at the Faculty of Physics of Baku State University (BSU) told APA.
Although the meteor shower is active from December 12 to January 12, peak activity is expected on the night of January 4, around 03:00.
“The meteor shower can be observed in Baku during the night and toward dawn. The most favorable time is near dawn, when the radiant of the shower reaches its highest point in the sky. At this time, both the number of meteors and the probability of visibility increase. During peak activity, up to 120 meteors per hour may be observed. Under real observing conditions in Baku, this figure may range from approximately 100 to 113 meteors per hour. This year, on the day of maximum activity, the Moon will be almost in the full Moon phase, which will negatively affect observations. Moonlight will make faint meteors harder to see, but it will still be possible to observe bright meteors.
Unlike other classic meteor showers, the Quadrantids originate not from a comet but from an asteroid-like object called (196256) 2003 EH₁. This asteroid orbits the Sun approximately every 5.5 years. It is believed that this object was once an active comet and gradually fragmented over time, taking on asteroid-like characteristics. Each year in early January, as Earth passes through a stream of dust and rocky debris left along this object’s orbit, Quadrantid meteors are produced.
The meteors enter Earth’s atmosphere at a speed of about 41 kilometers per second, leaving behind bright light trails. The Quadrantids are considered short-lived but among the most intense meteor showers of the year,” the statement noted.
