Pikes Peak Region Trail Finder

Photo by The Associated Press

By ANN SCHRADER, THE DENVER POST

One of 2012's most-active meteor showers peaks Tuesday night into early Wednesday, with an estimated 40-100 meteors per hour.

The peak lasts only for a few hours and comes near midnight Tuesday MST. The best viewing may come a few hours later when the moon sets. Sporadic meteors may be seen a few days before and after the peak.

Meteor showers — which occur when Earth passes through debris shed by comets or asteroids — are usually named for the constellation from which they appear to radiate.

Called the Quadrantids, the meteor shower is named for a constellation that no longer exists — the Quadrans Muralis, or wall quadrant. The wall quadrant was an instrument used by early astronomers to measure sky positions.

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