When to Catch the First Meteor Shower of 2012

The Quadrantids meteor shower will be shinning bright (for anyone willing to roll out of bed) with a maximum rate of about 100 meteor per hour, according to NASA. While most of last year's showers were hard to see because of full moons, Tuesday night/Wednesday morning's shower will have little to...

By Claire Lawton

January 2, 2012

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The Quadrantids meteor shower will be shinning bright (for anyone willing to roll out of bed) with a maximum rate of about 100 meteor per hour, according to NASA.

While most of last year's showers were hard to see because of full moons, Tuesday night/Wednesday morning's shower will have little to no moonlight interference.

So pack a sweater and camera, and check out NASA's sky map of the Quadrantids after the jump ...

Meteor showers are the result of Earth passing through fields of debris left behind by comets and asteroids. The Quadrantids is one of the brightest of the year, along with the Perseids in mid-August and the Geminids in mid-December.

Check out NASA's sky map of the 2012 Quadrantid meteor shower below:

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