The Quadrantids meteor shower can yield as many as 40 meteors per hour, radiating from the constellation Bootes. It peaks this year on the night of the 3rd and morning of the 4th. The first quarter moon will set shortly after midnight leaving fairly dark skies for what could be a good show. Best viewing will be from a dark location after midnight. Begin the new year by looking up!
see http://cantonbecker.com/retrograde for details…
Venus will be at its “greatest eastern elongation”. This is a great time to view Venus since it will be at its highest point above the horizon in the evening sky. Look for the enormously bright thing in the western sky after sunset.
Part of the Moon will appear darker as the full Moon passes through the faint outer edge (penumbra) of the Earth’s shadow. The eclipse will be visible throughout most of eastern South America, eastern Canada, the Atlantic Ocean, Europe, Africa, and western Asia