Quadrantids Meteor Shower Peaking Thursday Morning
The first meteor shower of 2013 peaks early Thursday.
Don't blink, you might miss the first meteor shower of the year. The high-powered Quadrantids meteor shower should peak just before dawn Thursday with a maximum number of meteors per hour of about 80. The meteor shower is expected to "last only a few hours," according to NASA.com. The meteors are believed to be a piece comet that broke apart centuries ago. The fragments will enter the Earth's atmosphere at 90,000 mph, burning up 50 miles above Earth's surface, according to NASA. If clouds don't obscure the meteor shower, the glowing moon may outshine it. The meteor shower is peaking while the moon is in its bright gibbous phase, according to Space.com. Viewing tips from NASA: Like most meteor showers, Quadrantids is named for the …
