Meteor shower 2027
Quadrantid meteor shower 2027
Updated
Next Quadrantid peak: night of Jan 3–4, 2027 (ZHR 80) Active Dec 28 – Jan 12; Moon 12% lit at peak (dark skies, excellent).
When the Quadrantids peak in 2027, how many meteors to expect, how bright the Moon will be, and where to look, computed from the International Meteor Organization's shower parameters.
- Peak
- Jan 4, 2027 2027-01-04 03:25 UTC, solar longitude 283.15°
- ZHR at peak
- 80 meteors per hour, ideal sky, radiant overhead
- Moon at peak
- 12% lit Waning crescent, dark skies, excellent
- Radiant
- RA 15h 20m, Dec +49° QUA
- Speed
- 41 km/s medium
- Best from
- Northern Hemisphere
- Parent body
- asteroid 2003 EH1
When the Quadrantids peak in 2027
In 2027 the Quadrantids peak at 2027-01-04 03:25 UTC, when the Sun reaches solar longitude 283.15° (J2000). That makes the night of Jan 3–4 the one to watch; the activity window opens December 28, 70 days from now.
The Moon will be 12% illuminated (waning crescent) at the peak: dark skies, excellent. In 2028 the peak falls on Jan 4, 2028 with the Moon 44% lit, a worse year for moonlight.
From 45° N the radiant stands 6° high at 10 pm and 46° at 4 am local time, so the pre-dawn hours are best. With the radiant at 46°, a ZHR of 80 means roughly 58 meteors per hour under a perfectly dark sky; light pollution and moonlight cut that a lot. The radiant never rises south of about 41° S.
How high the radiant gets
Radiant altitude on the peak night at 10 pm and 4 am local time. The higher the radiant, the more meteors you see.
| Latitude | 10 pm | 4 am |
|---|---|---|
| 50° N (London, Calgary) | 11° | 48° |
| 35° N (Los Angeles, Tokyo) | below horizon | 40° |
| Equator | below horizon | 15° |
| 35° S (Sydney, Buenos Aires) | below horizon | below horizon |
How to watch the Quadrantids
Get away from street lights, let your eyes adapt for 20–30 minutes, and look about 40–60° away from the radiant rather than straight at it; meteors appear all over the sky and their trails point back to the radiant (RA 15h 20m, Dec +49°). No telescope or binoculars needed.
Quadrantid meteors enter the atmosphere at 41 km/s, a medium speed. The Quadrantids can rival the Perseids, but the peak is sharp: rates are high for only about six hours, so whether your night catches it depends on where you live. The name comes from the obsolete constellation Quadrans Muralis, now part of Boötes.
Quadrantids peak dates
| Year | Peak (UTC) | Best night | Moon |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 | 2027-01-04 03:25 UTC | Jan 3–4 | 12% lit |
| 2028 | 2028-01-04 09:33 UTC | Jan 3–4 | 44% lit |
| 2029 | 2029-01-03 15:42 UTC | Jan 3–4 | 89% lit |
Peak times come from the mean solar longitude of maximum; real peaks can shift by several hours, and unexpected outbursts happen.
Next meteor showers
More sky pages
Data: International Meteor Organization (working list), GodsView computed Moon and radiant positions.