Meteor shower to dazzle

ISTANBUL- Hürriyet Daily News

The first meteor shower of 2012, the lesser-known Quadrantid meteor shower, will kick off a new year of sky watching when it peaks today.

While many meteor displays in 2011 were washed out by a bright moon, the Quadrantid meteor shower is expected to put on a spectacular light show, with no moonlight to interfere. The peak of the Quadrantids will occur at around 7 a.m. GMT today.

Western hemisphere
People in the Western Hemisphere will be able to see meteors at a rate of 100 per hour, NASA officials said in a statement. As long as there are clear skies, conditions should be ripe for meteor-watching into the pre-dawn hours.

Unlike the more well-known Perseid and Geminid meteor showers, the Quadrantids last only a few hours, so sky watchers have a narrower window of opportunity to spot them.

People in Turkey will not be so lucky, however, as the shower is set to peak at between 9 and 10 a.m. when the sunlight will wash out all traces of the celestial light show.