Here's when the first meteor shower of 2024 will peak

Kicking off the year with a beautiful lights display, stargazers will be in for a treat as the first meteor shower of 2024 is set to arrive this week. The Quadrantids, as the shower is known, have been active since December 26, 2023, and will continue to be visible in the night sky well up till January 16 but will peak Thursday, January 4, making this the best time to see the first shower of the year.

The Quadrantids have the potential to be the strongest shower of the year, and it has only just begun, although the showers usually fall short due to the short length of the maximum activity, sitting around only 6 hours, and poor weather conditions. These meteors under the night sky average 25 meteors an hour and usually lack a consistent trail but instead produce large, bright fireballs.

During their peak, however, NASA says the Quadrantids could be capable of up to 120 meteors an hour, though with the moon set to be at half illumination, observers' view may be interfered with somewhat, but this can be minimized. It is still unclear if this year's weather will remain clear enough for a strong shower even during peak time or if it will fall short once again.

When exactly is peak time? According to EarthSky the shower will peak at 7:53 a.m. ET on January 4, 2024. But to get the best view, you might want to head outside around 4:50 a.m. and watch till the sun is up. However, due to the northerly declination of the shower (celestial latitude), it will not be well seen from the southern hemisphere, meaning those in Australia may not get to see the light show..