I decided to head out despite the cold (-26C, -15F) for a late night session to catch the Quadrantids several hours before their predicted peak.  The sky was very clear but windy, so I drove to Johnston road, near the town of Bourget, about 50 km east of Ottawa.  The trees on one side of the road create a good wind protection – reducing the windchill factor.  Without that, the wind would have made the session unbearably cold.  I was well prepared with my winter sleeping bag, insulated mat, heaters, down parka, and multiple layers of clothes.  The site was quiet, with not a single car going by.

I observed exactly two hours, from 3:15am to 5:15am (local time).  I saw 35 meteors (19 Quadrantids, 3 January Leonids, 2 December sigma Virginids, one anthelion, one December Leonis Minorid, one sigma Hydrid and 8 sporadics).

The QUAs hourly visual rates were 9 and 10.  These low rates were well expected so far ahead of the maximum; one that is usually a sharp, narrow peak. Many of the QUAs were on the faint side.  The brightest were two QUAs reaching +1.

January 2/3 2022, 08:15-10:15 UT (03:15-05:15 EST)
Location: Bourget, Ontario, Canada
(Long: -75.104° W; Lat: 45.434° N)

Observed showers:
Anthelions (ANT) – 07:32 (113) +22
alpha Hydrids (AHY) – 08:24 (126) -08
Omicron Leonids (OLE) – 08:44 (131) +11
sigma Hydrids (HYD) – 09:45 (146) -04
January Leonids (JLE) – 09:50 (148) +24
theta Pyxidids (TPY) – 11:19 (170) -28`
December Leonis Minorids (DLM) – 11:10 (168) +28
December sigma Virginids (DSV) – 14:28 (217) +02
Quadrantids (QUA) – 15:16 (229) +50

08:15-09:15 UT (03:15-04:15 EST); 3/5 trans; F 1.00; LM 6.10; facing NE55 deg; teff 1.00 hr
QUA: nine: +1; +2; +3(3); +4; +5(3)
JLE: two: +3; +5
ANT: one: +1
DLM: one: +5
HYD: one: +3
DSV: one: +5
Sporadics: seven: +2; +3(3); +4(2); +5
Total meteors: Twenty-two

09:15-10:15 UT (04:15-05:15 EST); 3/5 trans; F 1.00; LM 6.10; facing NE55 deg; teff 1.00 hr
QUA: ten: +1; +2; +4(4); +5(4)
JLE: one: +5
DSV: one: +5
Sporadics: one: +5
Total meteors: Thirteen

Total meteors for this session: 35

Clear skies,

Pierre Martin
Ottawa, Ontario