Global Meteor Network confirms two annual showers from comets yet to be found
Researchers using years of Global Meteor Network data have identified two new annual meteor showers, M2026-R1 and M2026-S1, which the International Astronomical Union has added to its Meteor Data Center list. Their retrograde orbits point to Halley-type comets, but searches found no matching parent bodies in the JPL comet catalogue, according to Tech Times.
Bottom line — M2026-R1 peaks around 18 July and M2026-S1 around 19 August; both trace debris from an unidentified comet.
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Tech Times reports that M2026-R1, in Cetus, has 49 confirmed meteors and an active window of roughly one day.
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M2026-S1, in Camelopardalis, has 198 confirmed members and is active for roughly four days, according to Tech Times.
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The M2026-R1 study used data from 98 cameras across nine countries; the M2026-S1 analysis drew on 554 cameras, Tech Times reports.
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Both showers’ retrograde orbits are characteristic of Halley-type comets, but neither matched a known comet in the JPL catalogue.
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The International Meteor Organization’s 2026 calendar lists 110 established showers as of 13 June 2025; the new showers are registered on the IAU Working List, Tech Times reports.
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The Global Meteor Network describes its system as a worldwide network of Raspberry Pi cameras running open-source meteor-detection software.