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New Year's Fireworks from a Shattered Comet - presented by Science@NASA
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2017 is beginning with fireworks. No, not those fireworks...
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We're talking about a lightshow from shattered comet 2003 EH1.
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According to the International Meteor Organization and other forecasters, Earth will pass through a stream of debris from the comet on January 3, 2017,
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producing a shower of meteors known as the Quadrantids.
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The Quadrantid meteor shower is one of the most intense annual meteor showers,
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typically producing meteors at a rate of more than 100 per hour from a point in the sky near the North Star, also known as the shower's radiant.
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The 2017 Quadrantids are expected to peak around 1400 UTC - or around 6 am PST.
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The timing favors western parts of North America and islands across the Pacific.
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The peak of the Quadrantids is brief, typically lasting no more than an hour or so, and it does not always occur at the forecasted time.
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Observers everywhere are encouraged to be alert for meteors throughout the dark hours of January 3.
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"Extra motivation to go out and view the Quadrantids is provided by the shower's reputation for producing spectacular fireballs," says Brian Day of NASA's Ames Research Center.
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"Not only are these fireballs memorable visual events, but also they are of scientific interest.
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Anyone can participate in a citizen science effort by reporting his or her observations.
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'Fireballs in the Sky' is a free app that makes this easy.
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It is made available by Curtin University in partnership with NASA."
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Although Quadrantids can be numerous, they are observed less than other well known meteor showers.
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One reason is weather.
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The shower peaks in early January when northern winter is in full swing.
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Storms and cold tend to keep observers inside.
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Another reason is brevity.
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The shower doesn't last long, a few hours at most.
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Those willing to brave the elements while keeping their eyes on the skies could be rewarded with a spectacular show!
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The source of the Quadrantid meteor shower was unknown until December 2003,
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when Peter Jenniskens of the NASA Ames Research Center found evidence that Quadrantid meteoroids come from 2003 EH1,
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an "asteroid" that is probably a piece of a comet that broke apart some 500 years ago.
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Earth intersects the orbit of 2003 EH1 at a perpendicular angle, which means we quickly move through any debris.
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That's why the shower is so brief.
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Quadrantid meteors take their name from an obsolete constellation, Quadrans Muralis,
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found in early 19th-century star atlases between Draco, Hercules, and Bootes.
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It was removed, along with a few other constellations, from crowded sky maps in 1922
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when the International Astronomical Union adopted the modern list of 88 officially recognized constellations.
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Although the Quadrantids now fly out of the constellation Bootes, the meteors kept their old name.
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Quadrantid meteors: they come from a shattered comet and an extinct constellation.
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That sounds like they are worth a look.
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Bundle up for chilly meteor viewing on January 3.
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It's a great way to start the New Year.
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For more news about backyard astronomy, stay tuned to science.nasa.gov