Quadrantids 2027: a short peak on the evening of Jan 3

Dates and peak time

• Active: Dec 28, 2026 to Jan 12, 2027.
• Peak: about 03:25 UT on Jan 4, which is 10:25 p.m. EST, 9:25 p.m. CST, 8:25 p.m. MST and 7:25 p.m. PST on Sunday, Jan 3 (5:25 p.m. in Hawaii).
• The maximum is short. Sources differ on how short: IMO data quoted in one 2026 observing guide put it under half an hour, while Star Walk describes about six hours. Either way, rates drop away from it.
• Clocks: all times here are standard time, and Arizona matches Denver.

Why the timing is awkward for the US

The Moon is a thin waning crescent, about 12 percent lit, that rises late in the night and barely matters.

The radiant is the problem. It sits in northern Boötes, far enough north that it never sets from Seattle or Chicago, but at peak time it is below or barely above the northern horizon across most of the country: it rises around 9 p.m. in Denver, about 11:30 p.m. in Phoenix and about 12:30 a.m. in Miami.

So most US observers can't catch the peak itself with the radiant up. The radiant reaches about 30 degrees around 2 a.m. in Seattle and Chicago, 2:40 a.m. in Denver and 3:30 a.m. in Phoenix, and keeps climbing until dawn. Those predawn hours of Monday, Jan 4 are the practical window. They come several hours after the peak, so expect rates well below the shower's headline number.

Northern states have a small edge, since the radiant is higher earlier there, but they also have colder nights and cloudier winter skies.

What to expect

The Quadrantids' zenithal hourly rate (ZHR) is about 80 in recent IMO-based calendars; older sources give 110 to 120. ZHR is what one observer would see in an hour at the peak, under a perfect sky with the radiant overhead. Hours after a short peak, with the radiant still climbing, the real count will be much lower. Treat this as a modest night with a chance of a few bright ones.

Quadrantids travel at about 41 km (25 miles) per second, and their parent is the asteroid 2003 EH1.

If you're out early, Venus is a bonus: it reached its greatest western elongation, about 47 degrees from the Sun, on Jan 3 and is brilliant in the east before dawn.

Where: clear skies first

In early January the odds of clear skies vary more than darkness does. The desert Southwest is the sunniest region, and the Pacific Northwest, the Upper Great Lakes and the Appalachians are among the cloudiest. A dark site under clouds is worth less than a moderately dark one under a clear sky, so check a 96-hour forecast such as the Clear Sky Chart and be ready to move.

• Texas and New Mexico: Big Bend National Park, and Chaco Culture National Historical Park, where the dirt access roads call for high-clearance four-wheel drive and wet weather can close them.
• Arizona and Utah: Grand Canyon National Park and Natural Bridges National Monument. Winter road access couldn't be confirmed for either, so check with the park before you go.
• California: Death Valley, Joshua Tree and Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, next to Borrego Springs, a designated Dark Sky Community.
• Nevada and Idaho: at Great Basin National Park, the Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive is closed in winter. In the Central Idaho Dark Sky Reserve, check winter roads to Stanley before you set out.
• East: Cherry Springs State Park in Pennsylvania is open year-round, but PA Route 44 can be snowy and icy; call the park office first. In the Southeast, Stephen C. Foster State Park in Georgia.

Staying safe on a winter night

• Hypothermia can set in even above 40°F if you are wet or soaked. Know the warning signs: shivering, exhaustion, confusion, fumbling hands, slurred speech and drowsiness. A body temperature below 95°F (35°C) is an emergency; get medical help.
• Before you drive, clear all snow and ice from the windows, lights, hood and roof, and tell someone your route and when you'll be back.
• Keep a winter kit in the car: a blanket, ice scraper, shovel, flashlight, water, snacks, sand or cat litter for traction, a phone charger, and flares or a reflective triangle.
• If you get stranded, stay with the vehicle. Crack a window slightly and run the heater for a few minutes each hour while wrapped in blankets. Don't burn candles or matches inside the car; carbon monoxide is the risk.
• Check park alerts before you leave: some park roads close in winter or after snowfall.

Camera settings for a long, cold night

• Batteries lose capacity in the cold, and more noticeably below freezing. Keep spares close to your body; Sony suggests warming the battery in a pocket and attaching it just before shooting. Many cameras are rated only down to 32°F (0°C), so check your manual and rotate batteries.
• Lens and exposure: your widest lens at f/1.4 to f/2.8 and ISO 1600 to 6400. For exposure length, divide 500 by the focal length, after applying your crop factor: about 25 seconds at 20 mm. The stricter NPF rule, which most astro apps calculate, gives shorter times on high-resolution sensors.
• Framing: before dawn the radiant is in the northeast. Aim about 20 to 40 degrees from it and 50 to 70 degrees up, or take in the northeastern horizon with a foreground.
• Shoot continuously with an intervalometer, in RAW, with long-exposure noise reduction off. A fresh, warm battery at the start of the predawn run matters more than an early start.
• Dew and frost form quickly on winter nights; a lens heater band helps. Keep your phone in an inside pocket between uses, since cold drains it too.
• If the Quadrantids give you even one bright one, share it in the Astro photography hobby on Garbamons.