Perseid Meteor Shower
Hey gang!
This is probably more a Wide Angle topic. Especially since there's no
piccies...
Anyway, for those of you interested in astrophotography, the Perseid
meteor shower is predicted to hit its peak tonite and again tomorrow
night.
The best viewing time is when Perseus is high in the sky--between 2am
and dawn. For those of you in the Southern Hemisphere, Perseus doesn't
rise very much above the horizon but the view will be spectacular as they
blaze across the horizon. Perseus is in the Northeastern sky.
How to shoot. You will need a camera capable of bulb exposures, a tripod
and a cable release for the shutter. Why bulb exposures? Exposure times
will be anywhere between 15 seconds to 10 minutes. Choose a lens that's
at least 50mm or even wider. You do not need a long lens for this--the
longer the lens, the less you will capture. Also, the longer your shots, the
more the stars will apear to "trail"--which produces a cool shot too.
Find a spot where the lights of the city won't affect your shot. i.e. dark.
Set your tripod up and point the camera toward Perseus. Open the lens
as wide as you can and set the ISO somewhere near 800. It's important
to choose the ISO that allows you the longest exposure with the least
amount of noise--so experiment! If you cannot get away from the lights,
your exposures will need to be shorter to compensate for the glow these
lights produce. Long exposures near city lights will produce a fog like
look.
Think about composition and don't be afraid to include bits of the landscape
in your shot.
What's really great about the Perseids is their accessibility. Anyone can
get a great shot. You don't need a tracking telecope mount and you're
almost guaranteed to see something--they hit Earth's atmosphere at the
rate of 50 or so at a time.
Best of luck and post your results here!
Ian
This is probably more a Wide Angle topic. Especially since there's no
piccies...
Anyway, for those of you interested in astrophotography, the Perseid
meteor shower is predicted to hit its peak tonite and again tomorrow
night.
The best viewing time is when Perseus is high in the sky--between 2am
and dawn. For those of you in the Southern Hemisphere, Perseus doesn't
rise very much above the horizon but the view will be spectacular as they
blaze across the horizon. Perseus is in the Northeastern sky.
How to shoot. You will need a camera capable of bulb exposures, a tripod
and a cable release for the shutter. Why bulb exposures? Exposure times
will be anywhere between 15 seconds to 10 minutes. Choose a lens that's
at least 50mm or even wider. You do not need a long lens for this--the
longer the lens, the less you will capture. Also, the longer your shots, the
more the stars will apear to "trail"--which produces a cool shot too.
Find a spot where the lights of the city won't affect your shot. i.e. dark.
Set your tripod up and point the camera toward Perseus. Open the lens
as wide as you can and set the ISO somewhere near 800. It's important
to choose the ISO that allows you the longest exposure with the least
amount of noise--so experiment! If you cannot get away from the lights,
your exposures will need to be shorter to compensate for the glow these
lights produce. Long exposures near city lights will produce a fog like
look.
Think about composition and don't be afraid to include bits of the landscape
in your shot.
What's really great about the Perseids is their accessibility. Anyone can
get a great shot. You don't need a tracking telecope mount and you're
almost guaranteed to see something--they hit Earth's atmosphere at the
rate of 50 or so at a time.
Best of luck and post your results here!
Ian
Moderator Journeys/Sports/Big Picture :: Need some help with dgrin?
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