Quadrantid Meteor Shower .
The Quadrantids got their name from the constellation Quadrans Muralis, which ceased to be recognized by the astronomical community in the 1920s. Most of their stars are now part of the Boyero constellation. The astronomical community still debates the origin of the Quadrantids, some researchers think that they are probably the remnants of asteroid 2003 EH1 and that it is possible that it is a fragment of some ancient extinct comet. On the other hand, others believe they originate from comet C / 1490 Y1, an ancient comet that was first observed in Japan, China, and Korea more than 500 years ago. The Quadrantid Meteor Shower is not as well known as other meteor showers such as the Geminids or Orionids, because the meteors are weaker and easier to lose sight of. Nevertheless, They can produce fireballs with glowing tails that highlight the paths of meteors across the sky. They are meteors of moderate speed that radiate from the constellation of theBoyero or Bootes. However, they are named after the disappeared constellation of Quadrans Muralis , which used to occupy part of the current Boyero.
The parent body of the quadrantids was probably identified as the asteroid [[2003 EH1 | 2003, which is believed to have been the comet C / 1490 Y1 observed by Chinese, Japanese and Korean astronomers about 500 years ago. They are observed from January 1 to 6, with a maximum on day 3. The number of visible meteors can exceed 100 per hour, as reported by NASA. In 2013, the average speed of entry of meteors into the atmosphere was estimated to be about 41 km / s.
Everything indicates that the meteors have their origin in an ancient comet that was observed for the first time more than 500 years ago: the comet C / 1490 Y1. Other researchers suggest that the Quadrantids may come from the asteroid 2003 EH1, which is possibly a fragment of an ancient comet fragmented into several pieces, or even an extinct comet, that is, that lost all the ice layer that surrounds the rocky core. .
