Wednesday's Meteor Shower: Where and When to Watch It

The Quadrantids meteor shower, expected to be one of the major meteor shower displays of 2012, will be at its peak strength tonight, and will be viewable in the Southern California sky.

According to the Spacedex website, the shower should be "comparable to the two of the liveliest showers of the year," and will be viewable from 9:30 p.m. to 4:30 a.m. tonight.

However, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory website notes that bright moonlight to night could inhibit viewing and recommends that viewers wait until 3 a.m. when the moon sets.  JPL also says that at its peak, there could be 120 meteors visible per hour, equal to the two other top annual meteor shower, the Perseids and the Geminids.

Getting away from city lights always makes for the best viewing, so for Sierra Madre residents, the Angeles Crest Highway is the best bet locally. For those who want to stay close by, a short hike into Eaton Canyon is another option.