January 12 - Mercury at Greatest Western Elongation. This is the best time of the month to observe faint objects such as galaxies and star clusters because there is no moonlight to interfere. The Moon will located on the same side of the Earth as the Sun and will not be visible in the night sky. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Bootes, but can appear anywhere in the sky. Best viewing will be from a dark location after midnight. The waning gibbous moon will block out some of the fainter meteors, but if you are patient this could still be a good show. It peaks this year on the night of the 3rd and morning of the 4th. The shower runs annually from January 1-5. It is thought to be produced by dust grains left behind by an extinct comet known as 2003 EH1, which was discovered in 2003. The Quadrantids is an above average shower, with up to 40 meteors per hour at its peak. ![]() January 3, 4 - Quadrantids Meteor Shower.
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