The First Meteor Shower of 2026 Peaks This Week—Here’s How to See the Quandrantids

The new year is starting strong with a light show to delight skywatchers. The Quadrantid meteor shower will peak, depending on where you are, between January 3-4, and is a must-see celestial event.

The Quadrantids are a notable meteor shower that occurs annually and is one of the best of the year. Unlike other showers, which have a two-day peak, the Quadrantids peak lasts only six hours, according to EarthSky.com. Many casual stargazers miss it due to the cold and cloudy weather conditions in the Northern Hemisphere during this time of year—but it's worth looking for.

Under ideal conditions, you can see up to 120 shooting stars per hour.

The RCAS Observer’s Handbook notes that the showers should peak at 22 UTC on January 3. For those of us in North America, that means the best time to watch is sometime between midnight and dawn on the morning of Sunday, January 4.

To view the Quadrantids, find an area away from city or street lights and face northeast. According to NASA, in less than 30 minutes, your eyes will adapt to the dark, and you will begin to see meteors.

This year, the shooting stars will compete with a full moon, potentially making them less dramatic than when there is limited moonlight, but they will still put on a show. And since this event is known to produce bright fireballs, there's plenty of opportunity for some excellent skywatching.