Who's ready for another New Year's fireworks show?
A Quadrantids meteor shower will light up the sky late Friday and before dawn Saturday.
The spectacular display should be visible all over North America where weather conditions are clear, scientists say.
But rainstorms could frustrate many stargazers in the eastern United States, according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski. Wet and cloudy conditions are forecast this weekend from New England to the Appalachians, the Ohio Valley and the lower Great Lakes region.
“The rain is likely to become fragmented as it moves into the Northeast; some locations will get soaked, and others will barely receive a couple of showers," Sosnowski said.
Credit: Courtesy Accuweather.com
Credit: Courtesy Accuweather.com
The meteor shower has a short window of opportunity.
The event has a peak of just a few hours instead of several days, experts say.
It is also the only celestial event this month and only visible in the Northern Hemisphere.
The best time to view the shower is about 3 a.m. Saturday, according to the International Meteor Organization.
Under clear conditions, sky watchers can expect to see more than 100 meteors per hour against the backdrop of a dark sky, according to meteorologists at Accuweather.
Experts say the shooting stars are remnants of icy comets that originated near the constellation known as the Big Dipper and then crash into Earth's atmosphere.
Natural light pollution is expected to be low as the moon settles below the horizon overnight Friday.
According to The New York Times, the best way to see a meteor shower is in a location that has a clear view of the entire night sky, away from city lights and traffic. Experts say it is best not to use binoculars or telescopes that would limit the field of view.
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