Look up. Way up.
The annual Quadrantids meteor shower will light up the northern hemisphere tonight in what NASA labels one of the best showers of the year.
This year, the Quadrantids peak between Jan. 3rd and 4th. For stargazers in Richmond, the good news is that the moon is just a crescent this week, which will make it easier to spot the meteors after 10 p.m. The bad news is it will be partly cloudy, according the Weather Network.
What makes this meteor shower one to look out for are its bright fireball meteors.
“Fireballs are larger explosions of light and colour that can persist longer than an average meteor streak,” the U.S. space agency says. "This is due to the fact that fireballs originate from larger particles of material. Fireballs are also brighter, with magnitudes brighter than -3."
The shower will be most visible from within the constellation Boötes, just beside the handle of the Big Dipper. Increase your chances by lying down and looking towards the north.
Here’s what the shower looked like from Banff in 2012:
