Quadrantid meteor shower 2027
The peak is sharp, a few hours long, so the exact time matters more than for any other major shower.
Peak: Sunday, January 3 at 10:30 PM EST (January 3 at 7:30 PM PST on the West Coast). The Moon will be 12% lit: little or no moonlight.
Best time from US cities
Meteor rates rise with the radiant: the higher it is, the more meteors you see. These are the radiant's heights above the horizon through the peak night.
| City | 7 PM local | 9 PM local | 11 PM local | 1 AM local | 3 AM local | 5 AM local |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | below | 2° | 11° | 26° | 44° | 63° |
| Chicago | 1° | 3° | 12° | 27° | 45° | 64° |
| Los Angeles | below | below | 6° | 21° | 40° | 60° |
Local hours from 8 pm. Radiant: right ascension 230°, declination +49°, in Bootes (the old constellation Quadrans Muralis).
Where it comes from
The Quadrantids happen when Earth crosses the trail of dust left by asteroid 2003 EH1. The grains, most smaller than a grain of sand, burn up about 50 to 70 miles up at 41 km per second.
About this shower
The radiant lies in the far north of Bootes, between the end of the Big Dipper's handle and the head of Draco, at a declination of about +49 degrees. North of about latitude 41 degrees it never sets, but in the evening it sits low in the north-northeast and only climbs high in the hours before dawn, which is when Quadrantid rates are highest from the US. Under a perfect sky the zenithal hourly rate reaches about 110 at the very top of the peak, yet the strong part lasts only a few hours, so most observers see a fraction of that.
The stream is young and narrow. Its parent is thought to be the asteroid 2003 EH1, which may be the remains of a comet that has stopped giving off gas. The meteors are of medium speed, about 41 km per second, with a fair number of bright, bluish ones. Cold is the real obstacle: plan a reclining chair, a sleeping bag and a hot drink, and face northeast with the Big Dipper high on your left.
In 2027 the computed peak falls on the evening of January 3, around 10:30 pm Eastern time, when the radiant is still very low in the north from most of the US. The waning crescent Moon, about 12 percent lit, does not rise until around 5 am, so the best plan is the dark hours before dawn on January 4, when the radiant has climbed but the rates have already started to fall.
How to watch
- Get away from city lights and give your eyes 20 to 30 minutes to adapt. No telescope or binoculars needed.
- Lie back and take in as much sky as you can. Patience pays: meteors often come in small bursts.
- The hours before dawn are usually best, when your side of Earth faces forward into the stream.
Questions people ask
When is the Quadrantid meteor shower in 2027?
Active Dec 28 to Jan 12, with the peak on Sunday, January 3 at 10:30 PM EST. The nights on either side are usually worth watching too.
How many meteors will I see?
Up to about 110 an hour is the rate for a perfect, dark sky with the radiant overhead. From a typical rural site expect a third to a half of that, and far fewer from a city.
Where should I look?
Anywhere in the sky. The meteors seem to come from Bootes (the old constellation Quadrans Muralis), but they streak across the whole sky. Looking about 45° away from the radiant often shows longer trails.
Sources: shower data (solar longitude of the peak, ZHR, radiant, speed, active period) from the International Meteor Organization working list, as facts; peak time and Moon computed with Astronomy Engine. Times can differ by a few hours from other calendars.
Page checked: November 2, 2026.