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Quadrantids Meteor Shower 2013 Peak: Where and When to Watch

When is the Quadrantids Meteor Shower? Take a peek at its peak on Jan. 3 in St. Louis. If there are clouds that night, you can watch it on NASA.com.

If you blink you might miss the Quadrantids Meteor Shower 2013. It peaks in the hours right before dawn on Jan. 3, with a maximum number of meteors per hour of about 80. 

The Quadrantids come from an asteroid called 2003 EH1, just as the Geminids did in early December. Meteor showers usually are named based on the constellations where they originate. Quadrans Muralis (mural quadrant) is located where Hercules, Bootes and Draco meet. 

Tips for best viewing of the meteor shower

Find out what's happening in Clayton-Richmond Heightswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The meteor shower is expected to "last only a few hours," according to NASA.com. That means you should look for it in the the night of Jan. 2-3, not the night of Jan. 3-4. The moon will set after midnight, so the best time to view the meteors will be between then and sunrise at about 7:50 a.m. 

Earthsky.org reports the Quadrantids peak might be in the hours just before dawn on Jan. 3, though it could be difficult for some stargazers to view the meteor shower. 

Find out what's happening in Clayton-Richmond Heightswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"Face the general direction of north-northeast, but take in as wide an expanse of sky as possible. Watch from about 2 a.m. until dawn," Earthsky writes.

If there is cloud cover in St. Louis on that night, you can watch a Ustream feed of the meteor shower on Jan. 2-4 on NASA.com.

If you live in Clayton or Richmond Heights, it might take a drive to find a place not polluted by light. Do you have a spot?


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