Start 2025 With Quadrantids And 120 Meteors An Hour: When To See In RI

RHODE ISLAND — Because if it happens in the cold of winter, the Quadrantid meteor shower, which peaks Friday, is one of the most overlooked of the year. But it’s worth getting outside to see these spectacular shooting stars, assuming the weather in Rhode Island cooperates.

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, which should make for some good meteor viewing conditions.

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.

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

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.

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