Current Meteor Activity

ShowerStartPeakEndZHR
Daytime Sextantids9 Sep28 Sep9 Oct5
Draconids6 Oct9 Oct10 Oct10
Southern Taurids10 Sep10 Oct20 Nov5
Orionids2 Oct22 Oct7 Nov20

Radar Meteor Reflections

Amateur astronomy doesn’t only involve optical observing. Data can come from monitoring radio waves, specifically 143.05MHz, which are being reflected back to Earth by the ionised trails of meteors. The radio waves originate from the GRAVES space surveillance radar in France pointing out over the Mediterranean. As meteors come in sporadically over the Med and Southern France, the leave ionised trails behind them that reflect the GRAVES radar back towards the UK. You can find out more about it at:

https://www.britastro.org/radio/projects/Detection_of_meteors_by_RADAR.pdf