Meteor shower Quadrantids: astronomical and amateur radio peak at the beginning of 2026

Hneď v úvode nového roka 2026 čaká pozorovateľov oblohy aj rádioamatérov jeden z najzaujímavejších meteorických rojov – Kvadrantídy. Hoci ide o roj s veľmi krátkym maximom, jeho výdatnosť patrí k najvyšším v roku and under favorable circumstances can offer a truly exceptional experience - whether during visual observation or during amateur radio meteor scatter spojeniach.

Basic characteristics of Quadrantids

The meteor shower Quadrantids is active approximately od 28. decembra do 12. januára, pričom maximum aktivity sa tradične objavuje okolo 3. až 4. januára. Pre rok 2026 sa maximum predpovedá v rozmedzí 21:00 – 00:00 UTC v noci z 3. na 4. januára.

Typická hodnota ZHR (zenithal hourly rate) pri maxime dosahuje až 110 meteorov za hodinu, making the Quadrantids among the strongest swarms of the year - comparable, for example, to the Perseids or Geminids. However, their weakness is the fact that hlavné maximum trvá iba približne 6 hodín.

Meteory Kvadrantíd sú tvorené prevažne väčšími časticami, ktoré vstupujú do atmosféry rýchlosťou približne 41,5 km/s. This means relatively bright, fast meteors, suitable not only for observation, but also for radio reflections.

Unusual origin of the shower

Unlike most meteor showers, which originate from comets, the Quadrantids likely come from asteroidu 2003 EH1. Tento objekt obehne Slnko raz za 5,52 roka a astronómovia sa domnievajú, že ide buď o „mŕtvu kométu“, alebo o zaujímavý prechodný objekt nazývaný „rock comet“ – kamennú kométu.

Krátke a intenzívne maximum roja je spôsobené tým, že prúd častíc je veľmi úzky a Zem ním prechádza takmer kolmo, so the dense part of the meteor stream is passed through very quickly. Outside of the peak, the activity of the shower is significantly lower.

Radiant and observation conditions

The Quadrantids are named after the now-defunct constellation Quadrans Muralis (Nástenný kvadrant). Radiant sa dnes nachádza v oblasti súhvezdia Pastier (Boötes).

For observers in the northern hemisphere, the situation is specific:

• večer je radiant low above the northwest horizon, aktivita je minimálna,

• during the night it moves below the northern celestial pole,

• najlepšie podmienky nastávajú po 02:00 miestneho času, when the radiant rises to the northeastern part of the sky.

Pozorovatelia južne od 40° severnej šírky have worse conditions as the radiant only gets low above the horizon. In the southern hemisphere, the activity of the Quadrantids is practically negligible.

Impact of the Moon in 2026

Rok 2026 však prinesie významný rušivý faktor: spln Mesiaca nastáva 3. januára. Bright moonlight will significantly limit the visibility of weaker meteors, which make up the majority of the shower.

Real observable counts of meteors are therefore estimated to be approximately:

• Ázia: 10–20 meteors per hour

• Európa: around 10 meteors per hour

• Severná Amerika: less than 10 meteors per hour

Nevertheless, it is an interesting shower, especially in the case of brighter meteors and bolides.

Tools for visual observation

A very useful tool for planning observations is the interactive animation available at: https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/meteor-shower/quadrantids.html

This page allows you to accurately determine the location of the radiant, peak times, and visibility for a specific location.

Quadrantids 2026 and meteor scatter for amateur radio operators

For amateur radio operators, the Quadrantids are particularly interesting from the perspective of meteor scatter (MS) spojení, najmä na pásmach 50 MHz, 70 MHz a 144 MHz.

Basic rules for effective MS connection:

• najviac odrazov vzniká, keď je the meteor trail is perpendicular to the line between the stations,

• ideálna the elevation of the radiant is around 45°,

• precise time synchronization and appropriately chosen antenna direction are important.

To calculate the probability and efficiency of the connection, the classic program from DL5MCG, ktorého prvá verzia vznikla už v roku 1986. Dodnes je k dispozícii pre MS Windows: https://www.QSL.net/dl5mcg/mcg_ms.htm

This tool allows predicting optimal times for connections between specific locators, which is extremely important during the short maximum of the Quadrantids.

Conclusion

Kvadrantídy 2026 budú síce ovplyvnené nepriaznivými mesačnými podmienkami, no aj napriek tomu predstavujú významnú astronomickú aj rádioamatérsku udalosť at the beginning of the year. Their short but intense maximum will test the readiness of observers and MS connection operators. Those who are prepared and time their observations or transmissions correctly can take away exceptionally interesting experiences from the start of the year.

Clear skies and strong reflections! 73