The Quadrantid’s are coming and the mountains of East Tennessee are one of the best places to see them!
Set your alarms now so you don’t forget!
They only come once a year, and this year promises to be a good one, weather permitting.
The meteor shower is expected to peak on the night of January 3rd/4th, with the most intense activity expected in the early morning hours of the 4th.
Pullouts along The Foothills Parkway, Cade’s Cove, Newfound Gap, Clingman’s Dome and other dark spots away from the city lights would be excellent places to watch, so plan to find a spot that night and enjoy Star Gazing!
How to Watch
Compared to most other similar spectacles, the Quadrantids shower peaks for only a few hours.“ The peak is between 12am and dawn on Friday Jan. 3rd. Best viewing most likely will be between 2:30-5:30 a.m.
Hunting for meteors, like the rest of astronomy, is a waiting game, so it’s best to bring a comfy chair to sit on and to wrap up warm as you could be outside for a while.
“They can be seen with the naked eye so there’s no need for binoculars or a telescope, though you will need to allow your eyes to adjust to the dark,” give yourself about 30 minutes.
Where in the sky should I look?
The meteors appear in the north east of the sky and look as though they originate from the constellation Boötes, also known as the Big Dipper.
However, it is not necessary to find the main point to see the hundreds of streaking objects.