Folk belief says that when you see a shooting star you should make a wish, because it will come true. Whether you believe in this or simply enjoy observing astronomical phenomena, your lucky days are coming.
The first meteor shower of 2025, the Quadrantids, will peak on January 3 and 4 and will be visible to the naked eye.
The activity started on December 28 and will last until January 12.
This meteor shower will be "the best of the year," says the International Meteorological Organization (IMO).
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When they reach their peak and in perfect viewing conditions, up to 120 "luminous meteors like fireballs" can be seen per hour, with particles entering the Earth's atmosphere at a speed of about 40 kilometers per second, according to the US space agency NASA.
However, the spectacle in the sky "usually does not meet the expectations of observers due to the short maximum activity (6 hours) and unfavorable weather conditions in early January," adds the IMO.
Quadrantids are named after the former constellation Quadrans Muralis, which was established at the end of the 18th century, but the International Astronomical Union did not include it in the official list of constellations in 1922.
It is believed that they were first noticed by the Italian astronomer Antonio Brucalasi in 1825, who observed meteors in that part of the sky.
"Many luminous bodies known as shooting stars passed through the atmosphere," he noted.
Quadrantids are one of the few meteor showers that are formed from fragments of asteroids (rocky celestial bodies), while others are formed from comets (made of ice and dust).
How the Quadrantids are viewed
Quadrantids will be best seen from the Earth's northern hemisphere where the radiant, the point on the celestial sphere from which the meteors of a particular meteor shower appear to emerge, is high above the horizon.
Unfortunately, "little of this activity can be seen south of the equator," because the radiant is either very low or invisible due to the short summer nights, the IMO says.
Meteors can appear anywhere in the sky, but are best seen when they are about two-thirds of the way above the horizon where the layers of the atmosphere are thinner.
Some of the more spectacular meteors can sometimes be seen from urban areas, but are best viewed away from the light pollution of urban areas.
"The darker the sky, the more likely you are to see fainter meteors," says Dr Ashley King, a planetary scientist and meteor expert at the Natural History Museum in London.
A full moon can brighten the sky and make meteors difficult to spot, so they are best seen when the peak of the meteor shower coincides with a new moon.
When the meteor shower peaks around January 3rd and 4th, the Moon will set earlier in the evening, making it less of a distraction to observe this astronomical phenomenon.
Observing a meteor shower does not require special equipment, but patience is required.
So, find a dark place away from city lights, lie on your back, feet facing northeast, and give your eyes 15 to 20 minutes to adjust to the darkness.
"You may not be able to see anything for the first 10 minutes," says Dr. King.
"But once you get used to it, you'll start to notice more and more. So don't give up too soon."
What causes a meteor shower
Although they are called "shooting stars", meteors are not actually stars.
These are tiny remnants from the formation of our solar system that burn up as they pass through the Earth's atmosphere.
Most meteors are tiny dust particles, no bigger than a grain of sand, traveling at incredible speeds.
"As they leave the vacuum of space and enter the Earth's atmosphere, that tiny grain of dust interacts with all the particles and ions in the atmosphere.
"It heats up from friction and creates the amazing flash we see," explains Dr King.
A meteor shower occurs when the Earth flies into a cloud of relatively small stone or metal fragments that are formed during collisions of asteroids or the evaporation of material from comets, also known as meteoroids, which, when entering the atmosphere of the planet at high speed, burn up and leave a bright trail behind.
The peak of the meteor shower occurs when the Earth moves through the densest part of such a cloud, and then the largest number of meteors is visible.
Don't worry if you miss the Quadrantids, because there will be other meteor showers this year, although not as spectacular, and some will be more visible from the southern hemisphere.
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