Please report your observations to be included in the η-Aquariids Visual Data Quicklook Page.

A fine, rich stream associated with Comet 1P/Halley, like the Orionids of October, but one visible for only a few hours before dawn, essentially from tropical and southern hemisphere sites. Some useful results have come even from sites around 40° N latitude in recent years however, and occasional meteors have been reported from further north, but the shower would benefit from increased observer activity generally. The fast and often bright meteors make the wait for radiant-rise worthwhile, and many events leave glowing persistent trains after them. While the radiant is still low, η-Aquariids tend to have very long paths, which can mean observers underestimate the angular speeds of the meteors, so extra care is needed when making such reports.

The radiant area is located in northern Aquarius, close to the fourth magnitude star Gamma Aquarii. The best time to view this activity is just before the start of morning twilight, when the radiant lies highest in a dark sky. No matter your location these meteors will appear from the eastern sky and shoot in all directions. If the radiant has sufficient altitude Eta Aquariid meteors can also be seen shooting down toward the eastern horizon. With an entry velocity of 66 kilometers per second, a majority of these meteors will appear to move swiftly with a high percentage of the bright meteors leaving persistent trains.

The Local Organization Committee and the IMO Counsel invite you to participate in the 2008 edition of the International Meteor Conference (IMC), which will take place in Slovakia, in a beautiful setting, not far from the city of Banská Bystrica, from September 18 to 21.

Everyone who ever attended an IMC can testify that it is one of the highlights of the meteoric year! It is a unique opportunity to meet likeminded people from all over the world and to exchange experiences. In particular, you have the opportunity to present your own results or those of your observing group by giving a talk. In that case, you will see the paper of your presentation published in the proceedings that will be compiled after the event.

Participation in the 2008 IMC costs 150 EUR. This sum includes full board in the conference hotel, all sessions, the conference excursion, a 2008 IMC T-shirt, and the conference proceedings. Early registrants get a reduction of 10 EUR.

You can register by filling out the electronic registration form and paying the registration fee, or making a prepayment of at least 70 EUR. You can find more detailed information on the IMC 2008 website.

I hope to meet you in Šachtička!

The database of the IMO Video Meteor Network has been updated recently and now contains all observations until December 31, 2007. It is made of 328112 meteor records, collected in 2816 nights and 72582 hours of effective observing time. The PosDat data can be downloaded from the IMO website and from the IMO Video Network Homepage.

In March 1999, a video camera network was established by the German Arbeitskreis Meteore (AKM). By the end of 1999, it consisted of four cameras, and it has been growing ever since. In the next few years, not only observers from Germany joined the initiative, but also from other countries. Because of its international character, the network has been renamed to IMO Video Meteor Network in 2004.

Please report your observations to be included in the Quadrantids Visual Data Quicklook Page.

The maximum of the 2008 Quadrantid meteor shower is expected to occur near January 4, 7h UT. The Moon is almost new and rises together with Venus in the last observing hour. Western Europe and eastern North America are best suited for observing the peak.

This meteor shower can show maximum corrected rates (Zenithal Hourly Rates - ZHR) for as long as 6 hours, as was shown in 1992 for example. ZHRs may be well above 100, but the peak level varies from year to year. You can expect realistic rates of about one meteor per minute from dark locations.