Let's Start the Year by Gazing at the Sky
On January 3rd, we will witness the first meteor shower of the year 2024. The Quadrantids meteor shower will reach its peak, typically boasting an activity rate of over 120 meteors per hour, making it one of the most active meteor showers of the year alongside the Perseids and the Geminids.
In reality, a meteor shower consists of meteors swiftly falling from space. The phenomenon we observe is due to dust and ice fragments that once detached from comets passing through Earth's orbit around the Sun. As Earth passes through these fragments, they enter the atmosphere at several kilometers per second, causing them to ignite and release light.
Periodically, Earth goes through a cycle that repeats consistently, passing through the same area each year and thus encountering particles left behind by comets. This makes meteor showers usually occur around the same dates. During certain times of the year, these shooting stars seem to increase in number and originate from a specific region of the sky called the radiant, often associated with a constellation from which they derive their name. The most renowned meteor showers of the year include the upcoming Quadrantids, the Lyrids, the Perseids, the Draconids, and the Geminids, as they tend to have a higher number of meteors per hour. However, there are many more meteor showers throughout the year.
From Vallarta Today, we recommend preparing for the night between January 3rd and 4th. Seek out the best space, preferably in higher or more remote locations away from electric light, as the meteor shower will be more visible in a completely dark place. Join a group of friends or family with whom you can observe this beautiful spectacle from outer space that nature gifts us. Happy New Year!
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