Tonight (actually, between 2 AM and 4 AM Wednesday morning), Charlestown is uniquely situated to view the annual Quadrantids meteor shower, the first of many similar events this year.
At its peak, roughly 3 AM Eastern Time, an extraordinary 100 meteors per hour should come flying out from the direction of the now extinct constellation Quadrans Muralis. The astronomy community eliminated the old constellation by dividing it up into more easily recognizable ones. It's sort of like the way the Catholic Church decided to dump a bunch of saints because they couldn't be certain they ever actually existed (Saints Christopher and Valentine for example).
In most of the world, the meteor sightings will be washed out by a bright half moon (waxing gibbous to be precise). But on the east coast of the US, the moon sets before peak showtime. Plus, as you no doubt know, Charlestown is an oasis of darkness which will also make it more likely you can see the shooting stars.
The National Weather Service is forecasting a crystal clear sky over Charlestown tonight, though the temperature will be 12 degrees with 8-10 mile winds and gusts as high as 22 mph. In other words, WAY COLD.
The Quadrantids are considered odd, and not just because they are named for an extinct constellation. Unlike most meteor showers that originated from comets, the source of the Quads is an asteroid. The other unusual thing about the Quads is the shortness and intensity of the shower - really just the two hours between 2 AM and 4 AM. Most showers are visible for many hours and some for a couple of days.
For the best meteor viewing experience under our local conditions, it's best to have a chaise lounge so you can sit and look up up in comfort plus some really, really warm clothes (hats and gloves) to deal with the wind chill. Of course you also need a clear view of the tail of the Big Dipper.
If any of you night owls actually do this tonight, please let us know what you saw at progressivecharlestown@gmail.com.
