Radio meteor observations using the forward-scatter method at the SMRST v2 station with the GRAVES radar enable all-day monitoring of meteor activity and open new options for analysing meteor showers and the sporadic background.
A four-member team set off for distant Chile: Libor Lenža, director of the Valašské Meziříčí Observatory; Jakub Koukal, designer of the observing system and a specialist at the observatory; Jan Zítka, the observatory's electrical technician; and Jiří Srba, an external collaborator from the Astronomical Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences. They left on 29 May 2025 at 6 a.m. for Prague airport, flew to Paris, then to Santiago de Chile and on to La Serena.
In September and October 2025, tens of thousands of meteors were recorded by the CEMeNt and SSO VMO network cameras with historically highest frequency. The most significant shower was the Orionids with 437 multi-station orbits in the CEMeNt network, followed by the Southern Taurids with 223 orbits. Sporadic background activity reached its maximum in these months with up to twice the frequency compared to spring months, with the total number of recorded orbits exceeding 12,000.
July and August 2025 brought high meteor activity in the CEMeNt and SSO VMO networks. Weather: weaker in July, very favorable in August (events on 25/28 nights). The Perseids were below average this year (max Aug 12, 21:21 UT, ~54 ZHR), but activity was complemented by the SDA, α-Capricornids, and κ-Cygnids. In August, 61,344 single-station meteors and 11,773 multi-station orbits were recorded; CEMeNt 44,610/9,038, SSO VMO 16,734/2,735.
The Valašské Meziříčí Observatory has launched southern-hemisphere stations for meteor videometry and spectroscopy at Chile’s La Silla and El Sauce observatories. A unified system of cameras and spectrographs high in the Andes delivers cleaner data and higher sensitivity. In the first month, 22,922 meteors were recorded, 3,679 multi-station orbits computed, and the first fireball spectra obtained. Data feed into EDMOND and CAMS(EU).
From a Czech observatory to the Chilean sky: we are expanding the CEMeNt camera and spectroscopic network with two stations in the Andes to link Central Europe with the 'South.' More clear nights and high altitude in Chile will significantly increase the number and quality of meteor and spectrum records. The goal is to globally map the composition of meteoroids and uncover traces of planet formation. The first results already confirm a major breakthrough.
May and June 2025: less favourable weather, but records on 22/27 nights. The Eta Aquariids had a below-average maximum (4 May, ZHR 40±9; secondary on 7 May); CEMeNt determined 27 multi-station orbits. The network recorded 5,421→1,083 (May) and 7,408→1,516 (June) orbits. On 13 June, a rare three-member meteor cluster (JEC) with extremely low randomness (≈1.9×10⁻⁵) was captured.
The period of low meteoric activity ends, at least temporarily, at the end of April. During this period, two relatively strong meteor showers are active - the April Lyrids and eta Aquariids. The maximum of the Lyrid meteor shower in 2025 fell during a period of variable spring weather, yet it was possible to observe a relatively high number of meteors from this shower at Central European Meteor Network (CEMeNt) stations. In March 2025, the CEMeNt network cameras recorded 9,891 single-station meteors, which combined to form 2,198 multi-station trajectories.
The beginning of 2025 marked the end of high meteor shower activity, with January and February characterized by the 'Great Spring Hole' - a period of minimal meteor activity. Despite unfavorable winter weather and low cloud cover affecting observations, the CEMeNt network recorded historically high numbers of meteors, including 79 multi-station Quadrantid trajectories and record-breaking pairing efficiency of 67.5% in February 2025.
November saw continued growth in meteor shower activity. The month had very favorable weather conditions - at least one meteor was recorded on some CEMeNt (Central European Meteor Network) station on 24 nights. The main meteor shower was the Leonids (LEO), with CEMeNt network cameras recording a total of 84 multi-station Leonid paths. In November 2024, the network cameras recorded 13,431 single-station meteors, which combined to form 3,040 multi-station trajectories - historically the highest number in the CEMeNt network since 2009.
