Quadrantids

The Quadrantids are a January annual recurring meteor stream. He is one of the four most active swarms of shooting stars.

Your apparent origin or Radiant lies in the constellation Bootes (lat. boat ), which is why they are also called Bootids. The original name of Quadrantids is derived from the constellation mural quadrant, which is, however, no longer officially out. The Quadrantids occur in the first week of January, with a peak maximum in the night of 3 to 4 January. The maximum can be observed between 120 and sometimes 200 meteors per hour. Its brightness is not very pronounced, and their average speed is about 40 km / s

The circumpolar Radiant is however close to the horizon in the evening, bringing the number of observable meteors is greatly minimized. In the second half of the night the radiant is gaining height, whereby the proportion of observable meteors increases.

Until a few years ago was not known which parent body produces the Quadrantids. On 6 March 2003 the asteroid 2003 EH1 was discovered whose orbital parameters well with those of the Quadrantids. After a Meteor expert Peter Jenniskens article is at 2003 EH1 at the inactive remnant of a once much larger comet that has fallen apart, with addition in 2003 EH1 and the Quadrantid to have incurred. As a candidate for the origin of comets comes crumbling C/1490 Y1 question whose orbital elements are also quite good fit to the Quadrantids. Even the allegedly low age of the meteor stream supports this hypothesis.