Quadrantids Meteor Shower of 2015 [LIVE STREAMING FREE]: Celestial Event Peak Times on Saturday - Sunday

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The Quadrantid meteor shower, 2015's first meteor shower, is said to be most visible on Saturday at 9 p.m. EST and early Sunday morning in the Northern Hemisphere, with the West Coast, Nevada, Arizona and New England having the best chance of having clear skies. The premise is that most areas might be under winter clouds, making it challenging to witness the said meteor shower however viewing it via live online streaming may be one good alternative (link below).

Another challenge for those anticipating a prime viewing of the activity is the (nearly) full moon, which is officially a waxing gibbous that is said to obscure the meteor shower display.

However, those who want to witness the spectacle are advised to find an area away from city and street lights and to look east. Astronomers also said that people should stand in a position where the moon is blocked by a building or a tree.

In an NBC News report, Bill Cooke, head of the Meteoroid Environment Office at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center said that stargazers may only see 10-20 meteors per hour in clear, dark skies because of the moon's glare.

The eastern part of Asia is said to have the best views with the shower peaking there before dawn on January 4.

Peak Times

The Quadrantid shower will be at an approximate right angle with the Big Dipper and Arcturus and will boast about 40-80 meteors per hour at its highest point, according to NASA. After the meteor shower's peak, on January 4, 1:37 a.m. EST, Earth will reach its perihelion, or the point when our planet is nearest to the sun in its orbit.

A meteor shower occurs when Earth passes through the path of a comet, and bits of comet debris called meteors burn up in the Earth's atmosphere as it passes through. This causes flashes of light in the night sky.

The Quadrantids are named after Quadrans Muralis, or mural quadrant, which was created by the French astronomer Jerome Lalande in 1795. Experts believe that the Quadrantid is the result of a wiped out comet known as 2003 Eh1. 

Among other sky events to take place this year are lunar eclipses, with the first to occur on April 4 before the day break, followed by another one on September 27. 

Live Online Streaming

A live Ustream view of the skies over Huntsville, Alabama will be made available by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center. The Ustream feed can be seen via the website: https://www.ustream.tv/channel/nasa-msfc, where the camera will activate at approximately 6 p.m. EST.