When do the Quadrantids peak in 2027, and how do you watch them?

The Quadrantid meteor shower is the first big shower of the year, and 2027 is a good return. The International Meteor Organization (IMO) expects the peak on 4 January 2027 at about 03:25 UT, and the Moon will be a thin waning crescent that barely matters. The catch is the timing: the peak is short and falls at a very different clock time depending on where you live. Everything below is a forecast (“expected”), not a measurement.

When is the peak, in your time zone?

City	Expected peak (03:25 UT, 4 Jan)	Practical advice
Los Angeles	3 Jan, 7:25 p.m.	Radiant still low; watch after midnight
New York	3 Jan, 10:25 p.m.	Radiant only about 11 degrees up at midnight; best 2 to 6 a.m.
London	4 Jan, 3:25 a.m.	Near the peak, radiant well up
Berlin	4 Jan, 4:25 a.m.	Near the peak, radiant well up
Tokyo	4 Jan, 12:25 p.m.	Daytime; watch before dawn on 4 Jan

The IMO notes that this timing favors Europe and western Asia. The peak time itself is uncertain by about 2.5 hours, and the Quadrantids are known for a sharp, short maximum (the IMO gives about 6 hours), so if you are in North America, going out in the second half of the night is still worthwhile. Japan’s NAOJ recommends the early morning of 4 January.

The Moon is almost out of the picture

The IMO lists the Moon as about 18% lit, a waning crescent, on the night of 3 to 4 January, and calls the lunar conditions favorable. NAOJ puts new Moon on 8 January. Moonrise in New York on 4 January is around 4:57 a.m., according to timeanddate.com, so for most of the night the sky is fully dark. If you are still planning for December, see the Geminids on 13 to 14 December and the Ursids on the solstice night.

Where to look

The radiant (where the meteors seem to come from) is at right ascension 230 degrees, declination +49 degrees, in the north-east sky, in the old constellation Quadrans Muralis near Bootes and the Big Dipper’s handle. From latitudes north of about 41 degrees it never sets, and it climbs through the night: timeanddate.com shows it only about 11 degrees up at midnight in New York and about 44 degrees by 4 a.m. Meteors can appear anywhere in the sky, so do not stare at the radiant: lie back and look high, toward the north and overhead. The shower is best in the Northern Hemisphere and poor in the south.

What to expect

• Rate: the IMO predicts a ZHR of about 80 (it can vary roughly 60 to 200) at the peak. Real counts under dark skies are lower, and an average of 25 per hour is quoted by the IMO. NAOJ says 15 to 20 per hour and that the numbers can disappoint or surprise.
• Surprise potential: the IMO cites modeling by Jeremie Vaubaillon suggesting the stream is slightly shifted toward the Sun in 2027, which might enhance activity. That is a possibility, not a promise.
• Speed and look: about 41 km/s, often bright fireballs, but few persistent trains.
• Weather: timeanddate.com notes that 3 to 4 January has been cloudy 72% of the time in New York since 2000. Check the forecast the day before and be ready to move.
• Parent body: the asteroid 2003 EH1.

Dress very warm for a January night, give your eyes 15 to 20 minutes to adapt, and use a reclining chair. Put the phone on night mode.

How Sky Map helps

I build Sky Map, so weigh this with that in mind. Search for Bootes or the Big Dipper in the app to point the AR view at the radiant, check the astronomical calendar for the shower, and use Tonight’s Sky Conditions to see cloud cover before you go out. Sky Map: Constellation Finder is free to download on the App Store, with some features paid; more on the Sky Map app page.

Sources: International Meteor Organization: meteor shower calendar and the 2027 Meteor Shower Calendar (PDF) (active 28 December to 12 January, maximum 4 January 03:25 UT, ZHR 80, radiant at 230 / +49 degrees, 41 km/s, Moon 18% waning crescent); timeanddate.com: Quadrantids 2027 (peak 3 to 4 January, radiant altitudes and moonrise for New York, parent asteroid 2003 EH1, cloud statistics); NAOJ: Tokyo sky calendar, January 2027 (in Japanese: peak 4 January, 15 to 20 per hour, new Moon 8 January). Local times are my conversion of the IMO time. Checked 6 November 2026. All times are predictions.