7 tips for watching Monday night's meteor shower - Toronto Star

If you're looking to brighten a cold winter evening, Monday night's Quadrantid meteor shower might do the trick.

This annual shower — experienced when the planet travels through the debris left by a comet — is set to peak Monday evening, says Robert Dick, an astronomy instructor who has taught at Carleton University in Ottawa.

"A meteor," explains Dick, "is the luminous or glowing path of a particle as it burns up in our atmosphere."

About 100 meteors an hour will rain down during the shower, he says. But because they will radiate low on the horizon, we might see only about half as many.

Smaller particles will leave a faint, silvery grey trail and larger ones can glow red or green, depending on the gases they intersect with in the atmosphere, Dick says.

Most meteors burn up about 100 km above the earth's surface and never make direct contact with the planet.

The Quadrantid shower will last just one evening, which is much shorter than the well-known Perseid shower that can extend over more than a month in the summer, Dick says.

The Quadrantids are one of the least-studied annual meteor showers primarily due to the time of year.

"It's very cold and inhospitable, so not too many amateurs go out and mostly it's amateurs that study these showers," Dick says.

If you're looking to add to the body of knowledge or just want to take in the light show, here are some tips for viewing the shower:

 •  There is some disagreement on when the shower will peak, with estimates varying from 8 p.m. on Jan. 3 to 2 a.m. on Jan. 4. Dick suggests heading out between 8 p.m. and midnight, when you're more likely to stay awake.

 •  Try to drive away from the city's lights for optimal viewing. There will be no moon on Monday night, says Dick, although city lights are much brighter than a full moon.

 •  Dick suggests heading outside with a sleeping bag, but if you aren't up for braving the elements, look through a skylight or a large window.

 •  The more of the sky you can see, the better. Using a telescope or binoculars will only limit your field of view, so just use your eyes.

 •  Let your eyes adjust to the dark and try to stay away from nearby street lights.

 •  There can be lulls of five to 10 minutes with no meteors and then bursts of several in a two- to three-minute period, warns Dick. Go with friends so you don't fall asleep during the down time.

 •  The Quadrantids will be easily visible everywhere in the northern hemisphere but viewers in Ontario are particularly lucky as the shower is set to peak at a time when it will be dark here.