Did you know a meteor shower that occurs in the North every January?
The Quadrantid shower can be seen this evening as the meteors shoot across the entire Northern Hemisphere according to the Prince George Astronomical Society.
“It’s kind of like snowflakes in your headlights at night,” says President Blair Stunder, who says the shower generally occurs when the Earth’s rotation is facing a familiar constellation.
“Basically, it comes out at the last star in the handle of the big dipper, so this one actually comes out of that general area in the sky.”
“As they come into our solar system, they do warm up a bit; that’s where you see the tails being blown off of the comet. And what really happens, is we pass through that debris trail.”
He adds that same debris gets into our atmosphere, offsetting any polluted gases.
Stunder also believes a natural event from space usually draws a lot of attention and says he can’t wait to view it himself.
“It’s just one of those spectacular, natural occurrences that take place. When you get a chance, if you’re out camping and you’re out of the city lights and starting to see the night sky, then you get this meteor shower.”
He suggests to find an open area away from city lights, face North of Northwest, and hope for clear skies as well for the best viewing experience.