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Today's Meteor Activity

The 'Today's Meteor Activity' graphic shows the averaged daily Meteor Activity provided by the Radio Meteor Observing Bulletin (RMOB). It's updated every hour. This graphic is free for linking to from your own website by using this link https://mmmonvhf.de/ms/ms.png

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UPCOMING METEOR SHOWERS: MAY 2020

η - Aquariids is the most prominent shower in May; its predicted maximum for 2020 will fall on May 05, 21h UT. This shower, related to the rich stream associated with comet 1P/Halley (as the Orionids in October) , is characterized by a broad maximum, sometimes with a variable number of submaxima. IMO analyses based on data collected between 1984-2001 indicate that ZHRs are generally above 30 in the period May 3-10. The peak rates appear to be variable on a roughly 12-years timescale, due to influence of Jupiter. According to this model, the next maximum is due around 2020-2022, so this year ZHR is going to be better than in previous years. Model calculations indicate that ZHR could reach 50 hr-1 in 2020.

Please note that η - Aquariids radiant is above horizon (thus making the shower usable for MS) in Europe only (approximatively) in very late night and morning hours. While southern Europe stations will be able to see the radiant till early afternoon, in northern Europe skies the radiant culminates at reletively low elevation so an observer is able to see the radiant for much less time.

Theoretical modelling by Jeremie Vaubaillon indicate that the meteoroids of the Apollo object 461852 (2006 GY2) will pass slightly outside the Earth's orbit in 2020: there may be a weak activity of slow meteors on 2020 May 14, around 22h UT (λsol= 54.279 degs).

Some daytime showers (o - Cetids, peaking May 20th being the most significant ) will also be active this month; in addition to increasing Sporadic Meteors background, they will provide good conditions for MS DXing.

For Radio Observers, the (theoretical) UT peaks for upcoming showers in May 2020 are as follows:

η - Aquariids
Active: April 19 - May 28
Maximum: May 05, 21h UT (λsol= 45.5 degs)
ZHR: HIGH (50 hr-1)

η - Lyrids
Active: May 03 - May 14
Maximum: May 08 (λsol= 48.0 degs)
ZHR: Low (3 hr-1)

ε - Arietids (Daytime shower)
Active: April 24 - May 27
Maximum: May 09, 03h UT (λsol= 48.7 degs)
ZHR: Low

Arietids (May) (Daytime shower)
Active: May 04 - June 06
Maximum: May 16, 04h UT (λsol= 55.5 degs)
ZHR: Low

o - Cetids (Daytime shower)
Active: May 05 - June 02
Maximum: May 20, 03h UT (λsol= 59.3 degs)
ZHR: Medium

Source: IMO