Quadrantid meteor shower 2027
The Quadrantids peak on Sunday, January 3, 2027, with up to 80 meteors an hour under a dark sky. On the peak night the Moon is 12% lit, and the meteors seem to come from Boötes.
At a glance
- Next peak
- Sunday, January 3, 2027
- Meteors an hour
- Up to 80
- Radiant
- Boötes
- Parent
- asteroid 2003 EH1
- Moon on the peak night
- 12% lit, waning crescent Moon
Where to look
The Quadrantids seem to come from a point in Boötes, called the radiant. You don't need to look straight at it: meteors can appear anywhere in the sky, and the higher the radiant, the more you see. Times are local solar time on the peak night. Your clock can differ by an hour or more, for example during daylight saving time.
| From | Radiant rises | Highest | Height |
|---|---|---|---|
| 40° north | 9:10 p.m. | 8:20 a.m. | 81° |
| 35° south | 5:50 a.m. | 8:20 a.m. | 6° |
The Quadrantids in the next years
The peak day can shift by about a day from year to year. The Moon figures are for midnight in Toronto on the peak night.
| Peak | Moon | Moon lit |
|---|---|---|
| Sunday, January 3, 2027 | waning crescent Moon | 12% |
| Tuesday, January 4, 2028 | waxing crescent Moon | 42% |
| Wednesday, January 3, 2029 | waning gibbous Moon | 92% |
| Thursday, January 3, 2030 | new Moon | 0% |
| Friday, January 3, 2031 | waxing gibbous Moon | 83% |
Where the Quadrantids come from
The Quadrantids are dust from asteroid 2003 EH1. Every year Earth passes through its trail, and the grains burn up high in the atmosphere as meteors.
Keep the night of the Quadrantids
Put the sky above Toronto on the night of the January 3, 2027 peak on a star map. You can change the place, the date and the words in the editor.
Questions about the Quadrantids
The Quadrantids peak on Sunday, January 3, 2027. The peak day can shift by about a day from year to year, so the nights just before and after are worth a look too.
Up to about 80 at the peak, under a perfectly dark sky with the radiant overhead. From most places you see fewer, especially with the Moon up.
Anywhere in the sky. The meteors seem to come from Boötes, but they cross the whole sky, so look at a wide dark patch away from the Moon.
Hardly. From 35° south the radiant climbs only to 6°, so few Quadrantids reach the sky there.
On the 2027 peak night the Moon is 12% lit. That leaves a dark sky for the fainter meteors.
The Quadrantids are dust from asteroid 2003 EH1. Every year Earth passes through its trail, and the grains burn up high in the atmosphere.
Other meteor showers
More of the night sky
- Upcoming eclipsesEvery lunar and solar eclipse of the next 10 years.
- Night sky tonightThe Moon, the planets you can see and the time it gets dark in your city.
- Night sky on any dateThe Moon, the planets and the stars above any place, from 1900 to 2100.
- Moon phase on your birthdayThe phase and the shape of the Moon on the day you were born.