The giant planet will be at its closest approach to Earth and its face will be fully illuminated by the Sun. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Bootes, but can appear anywhere in the sky. Best viewing will be from a dark location after midnight.
The thin crescent moon will set early in the evening leaving dark skies for what could be an excellent show. It peaks this year on the night of the 2nd and morning of the 3rd.
The shower runs annually from January 1-5. It is thought to be produced by dust grains left behind by an extinct comet known as 2003 EH1, which was discovered in 2003. The Quadrantids is an above average shower, with up to 40 meteors per hour at its peak. January 2, 3 - Quadrantids Meteor Shower. This is the best time of the month to observe faint objects such as galaxies and star clusters because there is no moonlight to interfere. The Moon will be directly between the Earth and the Sun and will not be visible from Earth.
