Nature’s fireworks lit up the night sky with the first major meteor shower of 2021 between the hours of 2 a.m. and dawn on January 3. Anyone who had the right viewing conditions was treated to the Quadrantid meteor shower, which is known for its bright fireballs.

Unfortunately, the bright waning gibbous moon served as a viewing obstacle during the peak hours of this year’s celestial event. The American Meteor Society reported that “the best strategy to see the most activity was to face the northeast quadrant of the sky and center your view about half-way up.” Because the moon’s b...