Start 2025 With Quadrantids And 120 Meteors An Hour Over Santa Cruz
The shooting star show is known for bright fireballs — explosions of light and color that can persist longer than an average meteor streak.
SANTA CRUZ, CA — Because it happens in the cold of winter, the Quadrantid meteor shower, which peaks Friday, is one of the most overlooked of the year. But it’s worth getting outside to see these spectacular shooting stars.
The best time to catch the first meteor shower of 2025 is in the hours before dawn on Friday morning. Unfortunately, the National Weather Service expects cloudy conditions, so slide your viewing a day or two in either direction. The Quadrantids continue through Jan. 16.
Under perfect conditions, up to 120 meteors an hour may be visible during the narrow, six-hour peak that starts just after midnight Friday morning.
The shooting star show is known for bright fireballs — explosions of light and color that can persist longer than an average meteor streak.
It’ll be April before meteor showers start again. The Lyrids, which run April 15-29, peak around the 22nd. The Lyrids produce about 18 meteors an hour at the peak, but they’re known for bright dust trails that last for several seconds.
Source: Patch
