A unique space show will take place on the night of January 3rd to 4th. The Earth will be at the point of its closest approach to the Sun. On a new moon, in clear weather, it will be possible to observe the Quadrantid meteor shower without astronomical equipment.
On January 4, the Earth will reach the point of maximum proximity to the Sun and the distance between cosmic bodies will be 147.1 million kilometers. For earthlings, visually, the disk of the Sun will have the usual size. This is due to the gradual change in distance.
Experts from the Moscow Planetarium said that the night sky from January 3 to 4 will delight you with the spectacle of the Quadrantida meteor shower. The intensity of the starfall will be 120 meteors per hour. The Quadrantids begin their flight in the constellation Bootes. In January, this constellation rises in the eastern region of the sky.
A unique space show can be observed with the naked eye. Modern astronomers have named the meteor shower after the Wall Quadrant. The time interval for optimal observation of a space phenomenon begins at 23:00 and will last all night.
Alexandra Afonina