The First Meteor Shower of 2025 Peaks this Week—Here’s How to See the Quandrantids

The new year is starting strong with a skywatcher's dream light show. The Quadrantid meteor shower will peak on Friday, January 3, and is a must-see celestial event.

The Quadrantids are a notable meteor shower that occurs annually and is one of the best of the year. Unlike other showers, which have a two-day peak, the Quadrantid shower lasts only six hours, according to EarthSky.com. The peak begins when the crescent moon appears, and Venus sinks toward the horizon. Many casual stargazers miss it due to the cold and cloudy weather conditions in the Northern Hemisphere during this time of year—but it's worth looking for.

If you catch a clear sky this Friday, you can watch up to 120 shooting stars per hour, and larger explosions of light and color called fireball meteors during the peak. The best time to watch the Quadrantids is in the hours before dawn on January 3, according to EarthSky.com. To view the Quadrantids, find an area away from city or street lights and face northeast. According to NASA, in less than 30 minutes, your eyes will adapt to the dark, and you will begin to see meteors.

To view the meteor shower online, the Virtual Telescope will stream live from Manciano, Tuscany, Italy, starting at noon EST on Friday, January 3, 2025.