The Quadrantids: What you should know about first meteor shower of 2013

A lot of people start the year with resolutions, goals, and dreams. But stargazers love to start it by looking up at the night sky, waiting for falling stars. And the sky obliges, with the Quadrantids shooting across it at the start of every January. For those wanting to catch the show— and the Northern Hemisphere, including the Philippines, will have the best view of it—here's a quick dummy's guide to the first meteor shower of the year. 1. Where art thou, Quadrantids? The Quadrantid meteor shower is named after an obsolete constellation, Quadrans Muralis, which now forms the northern part of the Boötes constellation. Locate the falling stars as they come from just below the Big Dipper, a little over and beside the night sky's fourth brightest star, Arcturus. Too bad, though, that the bright waning gibbous might interfere with your viewing. 2. Peak time and date "The observation of [the Quadrantids'] peak activity is on January 3 to 4 in which meteors or 'falling stars' can be seen at the rate of at least 40 meteors per hour," PAGASA administrator Nathaniel Servando was quoted in an earlier report. The Quadrantids have a narrow peak lasting only a few hours, but can match the meteor rate of more famous showers with longer peaks, such as August's Perseids and December's Geminids.  Because of this, "the Quadrantids might be the strongest and most famous major meteor shower that you’ve never seen," said Earthsky.org. 3. Where do the meteors come from? While Boötes is seen as the Quadrantids' radiant (the point from which meteors seem to appear to an observer on Earth), the meteors actually occur every time the Earth passes through a cloud of dust and debris from the asteroid 2003 EH1. Sound familiar? It's also the source of the Geminids, one of the best-observed meteor showers in the country. EH1 is often also called a minor planet, but NASA said it could also be a block off a comet that broke into pieces several hundred years back. Others think it's possible that the Quadrantids to come from another comet, C/1490 Y1, first seen by astronomers in Asia 500 years ago. 4. The best places for stargazing in the Philippines Some institutions and organizations offer public viewing of astronomical events like the Quadrantids. The PAGASA observatory in the University of the Philippines has always been open for the public during huge astronomical events. You can also check out the Philippine Astronomical Society's and the Astronomical League of the Philippines' sites and try reaching out to their members. They organize stargazing summits. The Mind Museum in Taguig City might also be a good place for stargazing. They are equipped with telescopes, plus their staff members can answer your questions. In Baguio City, internationally known astrophotographer John Nassr has his own observatory. Do contact him first before visiting. But of course, nothing beats the experience of watching the dazzling wonders of the sky from your very own rooftop, car hood, or backyard with friends, family, and loved ones. Take note: the meteor shower will best be viewed from a place with little or no light pollution. If you do find a dark enough spot from which to view the stars, make sure that it's safe. 5. What to bring? A basic knowledge of constellations or a constellation map (freely downloadable online) and a  flashlight can help you locate the meteor shower when it appears. Telescopes and binoculars will also come in handy, especially if you want to take photographs. A thermos of hot coffee or chocolate drink, chips, some pillows, reclining chairs or a mat and a blanket will also be perfect for the occasion. Happy stargazing! — BM, GMA News