How to watch the Quadrantids, first meteor shower of 2019

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Thursday, January 3, 2019
First meteor shower of 2019 peaks Thursday into Friday
Just days into 2019, stargazers have their chance to catch a glimpse of the year's first meteor shower, the Quadrantids.

Just days into 2019, stargazers have their chance to catch a glimpse of the year's first meteor shower, the Quadrantids.

Look to the sky for shooting stars beginning around midnight and into the overnight hours between Thursday and Friday. Unlike most meteor showers, the Quadrantids' peak is very brief and lasts only a few hours, according to AccuWeather. It's short because the debris field left by the asteroid 2003 EH1 is perpendicular to the Earth's orbit.

Don't let the short peak deter you -- the Quadrantids are also one of the best meteor showers, boasting between 60 and 100 meteors per hour. The radiant point is below the Big Dipper.