Between 2 a.m. and sunrise on Friday you could see the first Meteor Shower of the year. It is a Quadrantid Meteor Shower, and there are a few things you should know if you're thinking about checking it out.
"I really encourage everyone to go out and observe," said Brian Cox, a NASA Solar System Ambassador. "Just dress warmly and you'll never know how amazing it could be. I think Murphy's law tells us that that the one we stay in bed for, we will see the next morning it was amazing."
While astronomers say this type of meteor shower happens every year, the Quadrantids have some unique qualities that set them apart from other meteor showers.
"They're unique because they come from an asteroid, known as 2003 E-H-1," said Jake Wilson-Goodwin, a Cal Poly student majoring in physics and minoring in astronomy. "And most meteors come from comets instead of asteroids."
"Although the name tells us we discovered the asteroid in 2003, the meteor shower itself has been actually first noted in 1825," said Cox.
"They're described throughout history as fireballs appearing from the sky," said Wilson-Goodwin.
So how can you see them? Jake Wilson-Goodwin and Brian Cox say to just look up.
"The best way to observe any meteor showers is with your own eyes, and I might by extension say your own dark-adapted eyeballs that have not looked at any light source for 20 minutes," said Cox.
So you won't need any special tools to see them.
"You want to get away from the city lights and find somewhere with clear skies," said Wilson-Goodwin. "Specifically, Avila Beach is great assuming it's not foggy, and Santa Margarita lake is also great."
Early Friday morning is the best time to see them, but there is a small chance they could be visible another night.
The Quadrantid Meteor Shower is technically happening through Jan. 12, but both experts agree between 2 a.m. and sunrise on Friday is the best.
