Quadrantid Meteor Shower To Peak Overnight In PA

Because it happens in the cold of winter, the Quadrantid meteor shower is one of the most overlooked of the year. But it’s worth getting outside to see these spectacular shooting stars during their overnight peak Friday.

The best time to catch the first meteor shower of 2025 is in the hours before dawn on Friday morning. The National Weather Service calls for mostly clear skies overnight in the Philadelphia region. Be sure to bundle up, as the low temperature is expected to be in the upper 20s.

Under perfect conditions, up to 120 meteors an hour may be visible during the narrow, six-hour peak that starts just after midnight Friday morning.

The shooting star show is known for bright fireballs — explosions of light and color that can persist longer than an average meteor streak.

The Quadrantids continue through Jan. 16.

It’ll be April before meteor showers start again. The Lyrids, which run April 15-29, peak around the 22nd. The Lyrids produce about 18 meteors an hour at the peak, but they’re known for bright dust trails that last for several seconds.

Related: 2025 Guide To Meteor Showers, Bloom Boom, Solar Eclipse, And Supermoons