Can Quadrantid Meteor Shower be observed in Utah?

I'd like to ask some questions about this year's(?) Quadrantid Meteor Showers, which will occur from the end of Dec this year through the beginning of Jan, 2011.



I visited Moab, UT area last month. The last day of my trip, the

sky was so clear and I decided to take a glimpse of well-known

Utah's dark sky. I went to Arches National Park after dark and

was stunned by countless stars as if they were falling from the

sky....



The beautiful night sky still stays in my mind even after I came

back home. I was surfing the internet and found that

Quadrantid Meteor Showers will peak at the beginning of January

next year 2011. I am now attracted to go to Utah again and see them

myself. I am thinking about visiting Bryce Canyon National Park.



To be honest, I know nothing about astronomy, and there

are so many unfamiliar words when I surf the internet. I am just

a first time amateur star gazer and attracted by so many stars over the sky

that I had never seen before.



Here are some questions I would like to ask.

1. Is Utah's winter weather generally favorable for star gazing?

Or usually more cloudy days?

2. Some articles say this year's Quadrantid Meteor Shower will be

better observed in Europe and East Asia. Will USA, more

particularly Utah, still be a good place to view them?

3. Some articles I found say go see the meteor before dawn on

Jan. 4th, 2011. But it seems the peak will be around right after

the sunset on Jan 3rd, 2011??? I know the peak time depends on where you view them, but I wonder when it will peak in Utah, USA.

4. Does anyone who has been to Bryce Canyon National Park for star gazing have any suggestion where particularly in the park I should go ?





If anyone could answer those questions, it would be highly appreciated.



Thanks!Can Quadrantid Meteor Shower be observed in Utah?
There are hundreds of meteors that streak through the atmosphere of the earth each and every day and night. There are times when the earth passes through what was the path of a comet and our atmosphere will pick up a lot of tiny specks of dust left behind from that comet. When that happens, it is called a meteor shower. There are many meteor showers every year.



鈽?Meteor showers can occur several days prior, and several days after, their projected peak time.鈽?



Think about the rotation of the earth. As the Earth spins, it moves into the path of the dust in space so you want to look mostly towards the east and near the constellation that the shower is named for.



The darker the sky in your viewing location, then the more you can see of even the fainter meteors. If you are in a light polluted area, you will only be able to see the biggest and most bright meteors. They are best to watch if you have a friend with you. You do not need any optical equipment. Meteors are best viewed with your naked eyes.



Great Article on Meteor Showers:

http://stardate.org/nightsky/meteors/



This is the 2010 calendar of meteor showers from the International Meteor Organization.

They put the 2010 calendar on a pdf file this year so you can save it to your computer.

Here is their link for that.

http://www.imo.net/docs/cal2010.pdf



This is the link to their 2011 calendar information:

http://www.imo.net/calendar/2011



Their home page can tell you how to get the very most out of your meteor shower viewing experience.

http://www.imo.net/

I hope that you have a great time!