The first meteor shower of the year is expected to light up the sky on Friday night, with stargazers in the UK to see up to 50 “shooting stars” an hour.

The Quadrantids are considered by NASA as one of the best annual meteor showers, though activity is often unseen because of January weather.

The Quadrantids might be one of the strongest showers this year, but poor weather could make them difficult to see.

On the evening of Jan. 10, Venus will reach its greatest eastern elongation — its easternmost distance from the sun. This is one of the best times of the year for Venus viewing. Catch the planet just below Saturn in the southwest sky after sunset; it will set beneath the western horizon around 9:30 p.m., according to stargazing site Stellarium.

At the start of each year, within a few days of all the New Year's Eve celebrations wrapping up, the sky itself puts on a grand show for us, sending streaks of light flashing over our heads throughout the night. This annual display is known as the Quadrantid meteor shower.

While most meteor showers originate from comets, the Quadrantids come from asteroid 2003 EH1 — a small asteroid that was discovered on March 6, 2003. The Quadrantids are also known for their bright fireball meteors, with larger explosions of light and color that can last longer than an average meteor streak, according to NASA.

They come around every year like clockwork and that means planning shooting star trips can be done months in advance. Here's a look at what's happening when, and how you can watch. The New Year kicks off with Quadrantids,

The Quadrantid meteor shower, 2025’s first, peaks Friday night with up to 120 meteors/hour. Look for blue fireballs under a dark sky, best viewed after midnight.

Astronomers suspect the shower originates from the comet C/1490 Y1 and is known for its ‘bright fireball meteors’

The best time to watch the Quadrantids meteor shower will be after sunset Friday. At their peak, they deliver a dazzling display of 60 to 200 meteors per hour.