Quadrantids: How to watch the first meteor shower of 2025
The good news is that you don’t need any specialized equipment to have a chance of spotting meteors, but you may need a little patience.
First of all, since it is winter, make sure you dress up and stay warm. Make yourself comfortable on a garden chair or sun lounger in as dark an area as possible and give your eyes 15 to 20 minutes to adjust.
Meteors can be seen almost anywhere in the sky, but they are best viewed two-thirds above the horizon, where the atmosphere is thinner.
The point in the sky where meteors originate is called the radiant, and the displayed mass is measured by the number of meteors visible per hour – called the zenith hourly rate.
The radiant point of the Quadrantid meteor shower is in the constellation Quadrans Muralis – hence the name – near the constellation of the Big Dipper. The zenith hourly frequency may be close to 120 meteors per hour, although this peak only lasts a few hours.
Fortunately, during peak viewing periods, the moon sets in the evening, thus reducing the potential for additional light pollution damage.
