The Quadrantid meteor shower is a very rare and unpredictable appearance, so if you, or someone in your family, are a space enthusiast, remember to be outside in the early hours of the 3rd of January, 2009, just before sunrise. The western part of the United States and Canada will have the vantage point during the shower, seeing how the Moon will no longer be visible before the Sun comes up, as it will be two days away from its second quarter.
Once every three years, due to the changes in the Moon's rotation and its relative position towards Earth, its glow covers the peak of the shower, when most meteors would otherwise be visible. But astronomers say that in 2009 the conditions for viewing the “magic rain” will be ideal. According to estimates provided by the International Meteor Organization, lucky viewers could enjoy as much as 1 or 2 sightings per minute, in the couple of hours before sunrise on January 3rd.
Experts say that, most likely, people on the west coast will have the upper hand in positioning over those on the east coast, due to the fact that the sun will already be up in New York when the meteor shower will reach its maximum peak. However, 15 to 30 sightings per hour may be possible in those areas as well. The recommended times to watch the sky are between 2 and 7 AM, but only from 5 to 7 will the shower intensity be so great that people will actually start to enjoy the falling stars.
On the down side, people in northern Europe will not experience such a perfect set of conditions, because the weather at northern latitudes is very moody, and conditions can change from minute to minute, let alone hour to hour. This only leaves the US as a place to view the cosmic event, as the Southern Hemisphere will not be able to observe the shower directly.
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