The Digital Teacher: Science : Here they are ! The Quadrantids !

Friday, January 3, 2025

Science : Here they are ! The Quadrantids !

credits: FreePik

Whether you’re an astronomy enthusiast or simply looking for a peaceful night of stargazing, the Quadrantids Meteor Shower is an event that promises to captivate and inspire.

This yearly occasion presents the ideal chance to engage with the wonders of the night sky and experience a cosmic sight that is both quick and majestic.

Stargazers can ring in the beginning of 2025 by witnessing the first meteor shower of the year.

The Quadrantids, one of the "strongest" displays of the year, are expected to peak Thursday night through early Friday morning, according to the American Meteor Society (AMS).

A view of stargazing as Quadrantids meteor showers peak, at Pigeon Point Light Station in Pescadero, Calif., Jan. 4, 2024. credits: Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images

via ABC

For the first astronomy event you can see this year, there’s a meteor shower to look for. The Quadrantids, the first meteor shower of the year, is expected to peak in the morning of January 3rd.

That morning, look for a maximum of 80 meteors per hour radiating from a point in the northern sky. It’s important to note that the Quadrantids, while an active shower, may see maximum activity for only a few hours on the peak night – or in this year’s case, morning.

For many years, the origin of the Quadrantids remained unknown. Though the Quadrantids were first seen in 1825, it wasn't until 2003 that an astronomer at Lowell Observatory in Arizona, Petrus Jenniskens discovered a small asteroid, 2003 EH1, was the source of the shower.

via Google Images Archive

Here are some general viewing tips from NASA :

◾ Find an area well away from street lights and the light pollution of cities.

◾ Come prepared for winter temperatures with a sleeping bag, blanket, or lawn chair.

◾ Lie flat on your back with your feet facing northeast and look up, taking in as much of the sky as possible.

It should take less than 30 minutes for your eyes to adapt so that you can see streaking meteors.

via The Universe Space Tech

Education:

This time of the year, some teachers and students are not yet starting school after Christmas season.

However, once again, science curriculum will be enhanced with the help of the awesome event in the sky. The Quadrantids!

Do you want a better science lesson ? A live lesson of science. Wow!

The winter, cold temperatures contribute in making this shower neglected by the public, while it offer bright, very enjoyable meteors.

Most of us are excited about the Quadrantid shower, specially if you teach sciences or you are science students. Of course, stargazers as well.

My usual readers know I don't teach sciences. I'm a Humanities person and former teacher of Humanities. But I'm a passionate of science and all the high technology near science.

Do you remember the Wow! The Geminids shower 2022. Kids, let's go ! Time to watch to the sky ! Just awesome! A sky full of stars.

This time, the European teachers and students are not in school. Only next week.

But the Quadrantids 2025 will be a good natural resource from the sky to enhance the first day of Science lesson!

credits: Lamberto Sassoli

Wow! Even on the first day of school time after the Christmas holidays. Our students will be happy with this new event.

The winter, cold temperatures contribute in making this shower neglected by the public, while it offer bright, very enjoyable meteors.

Most of us are excited about the Quadrantid shower, specially if you teach sciences or are science students. Of course, stargazers as well.

My usual readers know I don't teach sciences, but humanities. But I'm a passionate of science and all the high technology near science.

Do you remember another event Hello Science ! Here come the Perseid meteor shower ! Look up the sky ! Just another awesome event with the sky full of stars.

This time, the European teachers and students are out of school as i said. But prepare a one or two good natural lessons to talk and show some videos to enhance the first day of Sciences lesson! The Quadrantids 2025.

Who knows if you will have some stargazers in your class that will be happy to talk about their experience and show your and classmates a video or two made with their smartphones?

Resources:

video NASA : What's up for January ?