Â鶹´«Ã½

Skip to main content

The first meteor shower of 2023 is at its peak, here's how to spot it

Share

Stargazers will have until tonight to get their last best view of the first meteor shower of 2023.

The peak period of the Quadrantids meteor shower will end tonight, .

Known for its relatively shorter peak period and bright fireball meteors, the best view of the Quadrantids is in the Northern Hemisphere.

While most meteor showers originate from comets, NASA says the Quadrantids come from a small asteroid about three kilometres wide.

As many as 80 meteors could stream across the night sky each hour during the peak period.

The meteor shower gets its name from the point in the sky where it comes from, the now-obsolete constellation "Quadrans Muralis," which in turn is named after the early astronomical instrument known as the quadrant, NASA says.

"Quadrans Muralis" was left off the International Astronomical Union's list of recognized constellations in 1922.

The Quadrantids are also referred to as the Bootids, given the meteors appear to come from the constellation Bootes.

The meteors are best viewed at night and before dawn, in an area away from city or streetlights.

NASA says to give your eyes about 30 minutes to adjust to the dark in order to get the best view of the meteor shower, which will last until dawn. 

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

An Edmonton man says he was in the wrong place at the wrong time when he was injured by members of the Edmonton Police Service last year.

Toronto police say they are searching for a suspect who allegedly shot and killed his brother in an argument at a Scarborough housing complex late Saturday night.

Ontario's police watchdog has decided there are no grounds to believe Sudbury police committed a crime during a difficult arrest in May where the suspect's neck was broken.

Local Spotlight

Cole Haas is more than just an avid fan of the F.W. Johnson Wildcats football team. He's a fixture on the sidelines, a source of encouragement, and a beloved member of the team.

Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.

An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.

They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.

Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.

The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.

It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.