Shooting stars that emanate from the brilliant Quadrantid meteor will kick off a new year of skywatching for Filipinos.
According to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), the annual Quadrantid meteor shower will be active from Jan. 1 to 7.
It will reach its peak on Jan. 3 to 4 during which meteors can be seen at the rate of at least 20 per hour, PAGASA said.
The meteor shower will appear to radiate from the constellation of Bootes, which is below the Big Dipper constellation, in the northeast horizon.
However, PAGASA said the bright waning moon which is about 85 percent illuminated may cast an interfering glare across the nights, which will interfere with shower activity viewing.
PAGASA explained that the Quadrantid meteor shower hits the Earth’s atmosphere at the rate of about 40 kilometers per second.
The incinerated dust is said to be particles apparently derived from the debris ejected by the near-Earth asteroid 2003 EH, it added.
PAGASA also noted that the famous equilateral triangle in the sky, known as the Winter Triangle, rises after sunset this month.
The triangle formed by the stars is composed of Betelgeuse, the super giant red star and the prominent star of the famous constellation Orion; Sirius, the brightest star in the sky of the constellation Canis Major; and Procyon, the brightest star of the constellation Canis Minor.