Outside of being an epicenter for nightlife and business, North Carolina is taking on a new role - becoming the stage to view the upcoming Quadrantids meteor shower, where hundreds of meteors will light up the North Carolina skies. If you've been waiting for a chance to wish on a shooting star, this is your opportunity to step outside and witness this feat of nature. The annual Quadrantids meteor shower will peak between Jan. 3 and 4, but it's upping the stakes this year. On average, the shower produces around 40 shooting stars per hour, but this year astronomers are predicting as many as 100 shooting stars will rain down from the skies per hour. Being in the northern hemisphere allows for even better views of the shower, with some countries way far north witnessing the auroras that people around the world chase the Northern Lights for. View this post on Instagram 2019 is off to a great start! Here is my best attempt at capturing the Quadrantid meteor shower in Borrego Springs. Thanks for the assist @betterbelievus . . . #quadrantids #meteorshower #shootingstars #meteor #anzaborrego #borregosprings #sandiego #astrophotography #photopills #dinosaur #metalsculpture #longexpoelite #52weeksofnature #nightscaper #optoutside #supreme_nightshots #earthfocus #longexposure #nightscape #natgeospace #yourshotphotographer #sonyimages #sonyalpha #universetoday #desertnights A post shared by cholivas (@cholivas) on Jan 4, 2019 at 11:20pm PST The prime time to view the show is between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. If you think the light from the moon will diminish your viewing chances, think again. The moon will completely vanish at 2 a.m. until dawn. For the night owls looking to watch the night skies dance, it's best to watch the show where the sky will be at its darkest (so typically away from city life and light pollution). View this post on Instagram Meteor showers are caused by streams of solid particles, dust size and larger, moving as a group through space. In most cases, the orbits of these meteor streams can be identified with dust expelled from a comet. When the Earth passes through a stream, the particles leave brilliant trails through the night sky as they disintegrate in Earth's atmosphere. The meteor paths are all parallel to each other, but, like train tracks, the effect of perspective causes them to appear to originate from a radiant point in the distance. The featured image composite was taken during January's Quadrantid meteor shower from La Palma, one of Spain's Canary Islands, off the northwest coast of Africa. The Quadrantids radiant is visible just below the handle of the Big Dipper. A careful eye will also discern the faint green coma of Comet Wirtanen. Tonight is the peak of the modest Lyrid meteor shower, with several meteors per hour visible from dark locations with clear skies.⠀ ⠀ Image Credit & Copyright: Vincent Duparc⠀ ⠀ #apod #meteorshower #dust #comet #quadrantids #quadrantid #lapalma #canaryislands #bigdipper #cometwirtanen #skygazing #astronomy #science #space #stargazing #nightsky #meteorshowerpeak A post shared by SETI Institute (@setiinstitute) on Apr 23, 2019 at 9:18am PDT Several viewing locations far from light pollution include: Graveyard Fields Ocracoke Island Lake Lure Cataloochee Valley Medoc Mountain State Park Whether you pitch a tent, rent a cabin, or simply take advantage of the 24-hour parks, these places are remote enough so you'll have no viewing interruptions. View this post on Instagram 祝福 象限仪座流星雨，四姑娘山，海子沟。 使用Planit计划，北斗七星在四姑娘山圣山升起。 帐篷的灯光映红了山坡上的白雪，四个姑娘在远处遥望。 #mtsiguniang #milkywaychasers #sky #quadrantids #2019 #ursamajor #meteorshower #milkyway #nightscapephotography #锅庄坪 #海子沟 #outdoors #winter #newyear #quandransmuralis #mountain #snowmountain #planit #nightar #bigdipper #stars #westernsichuan #plateau A post shared by toshin (@toshin3239) on Jan 7, 2019 at 2:19am PST In addition, these remote North Carolina islands provide equal viewing and shelling opportunities, while this beach town is the perfect place to witness the shooting stars from the sand. There are stories everywhere! If you spot a newsworthy event in your city, send us a message, photo, or video @NarcityUSA on Facebook and Instagram.
