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Perseids are Here - Meteor Showers - any Tips for Photographing?

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DeeDee G.

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Here is some info on them. This is a great link for more info.

http://skyandtelescope.com/observing/objects/meteors/article_649_1.asp

A Great Year for the Perseids

This famous shower, rich in bright meteors with long-lasting trains, calls for some offbeat observing projects.
By Roger W. Sinnott

The thin crescent Moon sets early on the evening of August 12th, leaving the sky fully dark for this year’s Perseid meteor shower. The display should peak later that night for observers throughout the Northern Hemisphere, especially as morning twilight begins. That’s when the radiant (the patch of sky between Perseus and Cassiopeia from which the Perseids appear to come) is highest in midnorthern latitudes. Skywatchers can expect to see 60 or more Perseids per hour, provided the sky is very clear and dark.

If you miss the Perseids that night, all is not lost. The shower lasts for two weeks or so, with excellent rates in the predawn hours of August 10th through 15th. Far fewer meteors will appear before midnight, even on the night of the shower’s maximum, because the radiant is then quite low in the sky. The radiant is always low or below the horizon for countries like Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa, where few, if any, Perseids can be seen.

DeeDee G.

--
DeeDee G.
http://www.pbase.com/deedee_g/root
 
Thanks for the reminder. I think I am just going to put the camera on the tripod and point it at the sky and use the remote. I'll try out different exposures as well. I'm thinking it would probably work best with a slow shutter speed.
DeeDee G. said:
Here is some info on them. This is a great link for more info.

http://skyandtelescope.com/observing/objects/meteors/article_649_1.asp

A Great Year for the Perseids
This famous shower, rich in bright meteors with long-lasting
trains, calls for some offbeat observing projects.
By Roger W. Sinnott

The thin crescent Moon sets early on the evening of August 12th,
leaving the sky fully dark for this year’s Perseid meteor
shower. The display should peak later that night for observers
throughout the Northern Hemisphere, especially as morning twilight
begins. That’s when the radiant (the patch of sky between
Perseus and Cassiopeia from which the Perseids appear to come) is
highest in midnorthern latitudes. Skywatchers can expect to see 60
or more Perseids per hour, provided the sky is very clear and dark.
If you miss the Perseids that night, all is not lost. The shower
lasts for two weeks or so, with excellent rates in the predawn
hours of August 10th through 15th. Far fewer meteors will appear
before midnight, even on the night of the shower’s maximum,
because the radiant is then quite low in the sky. The radiant is
always low or below the horizon for countries like Australia, New
Zealand, and South Africa, where few, if any, Perseids can be seen.

DeeDee G.

--
DeeDee G.
http://www.pbase.com/deedee_g/root
Click to expand...
 
I think you would want the longest expsosure you can get without noticable star trailing to improve your chances of catching a meteor. Or you can mount it on top of your scope and use full 30 second exposures. Joe
Dwight1973 said:
DeeDee G. said:
Here is some info on them. This is a great link for more info.

http://skyandtelescope.com/observing/objects/meteors/article_649_1.asp

A Great Year for the Perseids
This famous shower, rich in bright meteors with long-lasting
trains, calls for some offbeat observing projects.
By Roger W. Sinnott

The thin crescent Moon sets early on the evening of August 12th,
leaving the sky fully dark for this year’s Perseid meteor
shower. The display should peak later that night for observers
throughout the Northern Hemisphere, especially as morning twilight
begins. That’s when the radiant (the patch of sky between
Perseus and Cassiopeia from which the Perseids appear to come) is
highest in midnorthern latitudes. Skywatchers can expect to see 60
or more Perseids per hour, provided the sky is very clear and dark.
If you miss the Perseids that night, all is not lost. The shower
lasts for two weeks or so, with excellent rates in the predawn
hours of August 10th through 15th. Far fewer meteors will appear
before midnight, even on the night of the shower’s maximum,
because the radiant is then quite low in the sky. The radiant is
always low or below the horizon for countries like Australia, New
Zealand, and South Africa, where few, if any, Perseids can be seen.

DeeDee G.

--
DeeDee G.
http://www.pbase.com/deedee_g/root
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
Joe Jones said:
I think you would want the longest expsosure you can get without
noticable star trailing to improve your chances of catching a
meteor. Or you can mount it on top of your scope and use full 30
second exposures. Joe
Click to expand...
You'll get what I think is noticable star trails (elongation) at 30 sec. While they will be hardly noticable at 15 sec. I'd suggest maybe stacking several 15 sec photos for best effect.
 
Thanks Dwight. I guess I can set the self timer on the camera which will be on the tripod and hope I get some shooting stars.

D.
Dwight1973 said:
DeeDee G. said:
Here is some info on them. This is a great link for more info.

http://skyandtelescope.com/observing/objects/meteors/article_649_1.asp

A Great Year for the Perseids
This famous shower, rich in bright meteors with long-lasting
trains, calls for some offbeat observing projects.
By Roger W. Sinnott

The thin crescent Moon sets early on the evening of August 12th,
leaving the sky fully dark for this year’s Perseid meteor
shower. The display should peak later that night for observers
throughout the Northern Hemisphere, especially as morning twilight
begins. That’s when the radiant (the patch of sky between
Perseus and Cassiopeia from which the Perseids appear to come) is
highest in midnorthern latitudes. Skywatchers can expect to see 60
or more Perseids per hour, provided the sky is very clear and dark.
If you miss the Perseids that night, all is not lost. The shower
lasts for two weeks or so, with excellent rates in the predawn
hours of August 10th through 15th. Far fewer meteors will appear
before midnight, even on the night of the shower’s maximum,
because the radiant is then quite low in the sky. The radiant is
always low or below the horizon for countries like Australia, New
Zealand, and South Africa, where few, if any, Perseids can be seen.

DeeDee G.

--
DeeDee G.
http://www.pbase.com/deedee_g/root
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
--
DeeDee G.
http://www.pbase.com/deedee_g/root
 
That sounds like a great idea.
Should I set the camera at Apeture Priority??

TIA

D.
LM2 said:
Joe Jones said:
I think you would want the longest expsosure you can get without
noticable star trailing to improve your chances of catching a
meteor. Or you can mount it on top of your scope and use full 30
second exposures. Joe
Click to expand...
You'll get what I think is noticable star trails (elongation) at 30
sec. While they will be hardly noticable at 15 sec. I'd suggest
maybe stacking several 15 sec photos for best effect.
Click to expand...
--
DeeDee G.
http://www.pbase.com/deedee_g/root
 
I was thinking it would be worth a try, although I plan to use a scope and a (Sony) video camera to have continuous coverage.

The S&T illustration is a little misleading I thought. It shows 100's of little impact points on the dark side, I guess to show where a meteor could possibly hit. But remember this is a long-shot image opp. - I only know of one verified impact flash ever seen/recorded. But that doesn't mean that the second one won't be caught by a Sony.

Regards,
Joe
Christopher Sicard said:
Any of you guys with scopes going to try and get shots of meteor
impact flashes on the dark area of the moon during the storm?

http://skyandtelescope.com/observing/objects/meteors/article_649_3.asp

This link shows the impact zone for this year.
Click to expand...
 
DeeDee G. said:
That sounds like a great idea.
Should I set the camera at Apeture Priority??

TIA

D.
Click to expand...
Manual Mode if you've got it (I'm always forgetting that not everyone has that available on their camera).

I'd shoot 15sec, f2.0, ISO 100, White Balance Daylight, Manual focus set to infinity.

You'll of course have to carefully align the photos as the sky will have "moved" between shots unless you have it on a tracking telescope mount of some kind.

If you don't have manual mode then go for shutter priority for as long as the camera will go, up to 15 sec, ISO 200, White Balance Daylight, Manual focus at infinity.

For those of you without the noise reduction of the F707 you'll need to take a long exposure (same time that you intend to use) with the lens cap on and do a noise subtraction of each frame before stacking.
 
Thank you LM2.

I do have the F707. I will try the manual mode.

I was up at 2am and 4am looking for "shooting stars" and saw none.

I'll try again tonight.

D.
LM2 said:
DeeDee G. said:
That sounds like a great idea.
Should I set the camera at Apeture Priority??

TIA

D.
Click to expand...
Manual Mode if you've got it (I'm always forgetting that not
everyone has that available on their camera).
I'd shoot 15sec, f2.0, ISO 100, White Balance Daylight, Manual
focus set to infinity.
You'll of course have to carefully align the photos as the sky will
have "moved" between shots unless you have it on a tracking
telescope mount of some kind.

If you don't have manual mode then go for shutter priority for as
long as the camera will go, up to 15 sec, ISO 200, White Balance
Daylight, Manual focus at infinity.

For those of you without the noise reduction of the F707 you'll
need to take a long exposure (same time that you intend to use)
with the lens cap on and do a noise subtraction of each frame
before stacking.
Click to expand...
--
DeeDee G.
http://www.pbase.com/deedee_g/root
 
Somewhere on that sight I had read about the benefits of an IR filter to capture meteor hits on the moon. I assume it has something to do with most of the energy of the impact beyond the human eye's spectrum.
Joe Jones said:
The S&T illustration is a little misleading I thought. It shows
100's of little impact points on the dark side, I guess to show
where a meteor could possibly hit. But remember this is a
long-shot image opp. - I only know of one verified impact flash
ever seen/recorded. But that doesn't mean that the second one won't
be caught by a Sony.
Christopher Sicard said:
Any of you guys with scopes going to try and get shots of meteor
impact flashes on the dark area of the moon during the storm?
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
http://skyandtelescope.com/observing/objects/meteors/article_649_3.asp
Joe Jones said:
Joe Jones said:
This link shows the impact zone for this year.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
--
-photoave http://phillywood.com An Amalgam of images.

Remember to place a ';' after image links in your replies so it helps our dialup friends when viewing threads.
 
Just thought I'd post something i was reading from http://www.spaceweather.com/index.html

I take no credit, just passing it along. Its for a manual camera but the ideas apply! Enjoy!

Meteor Photography Tips
from astrophotographer Doug Murray
back to spaceweather.com
All you need to take pictures of meteors is the following:
1. Any 35mm camera with a "B" or Bulb setting. I use a 1967 Nikon F
2. A 50mm lens (or 35mm, or 24mm lens,
3. A cable release (about $10 or less)
4. A Tripod ($20 or less)

5. A roll of ISO 400 or 800 film (I like Fuji Superia 400 or 800 which I buy in 4 packs at WalMart. (about $9 for 4 rolls of 24 exposures)

Any brand of 35mm camera will work (needs to have the B setting, mirror lock up is also nice to have but not required). Old manual cameras work great, because they do not need batteries, and you cannot use autofocus for this type of photography anyway.

You can find these old cameras at garage sales, on Ebay, pawn shops, or maybe a relative or friend can give you one.

Put the camera on the tripod, attach the cable release to the camera, set the shutter speed to "B", set the aperture on the lens to it's lowest number (for example f 2), set the focus to infinity, aim the camera where you think meteors may appear (near the radiant of meteor shower is a good spot) then push down on the cable release to open the camera's shutter. Keep the shutter open until you see a meteor go thru the sky where your camera is pointed. After the meteor is gone, let go of the cable release to close the shutter which takes the picture. If you don't see a meteor in a minute or two, release the shutter, wind the film to the next frame and start over. Depending on the amount of light pollution in your area it will start to lighten the sky image on the film and washout any meteors if you expose the film for too long.

You need to experiment with different exposure times to see what times work best for your local sky conditions. If possible, take a roll of film of the night sky a couple of days before the meteor shower. Take different exposure times and write them down with the frame number and f stop to refer to when looking at the processed negatives or prints.
Other points to consider:

Wide angle lens such as 35mm, 24mm and smaller cover more of the sky, but the meteors will be smaller on the negative and print.

You may want to aim your camera at the darkest part of your sky to get the best contrast of the meteor, and the sky.

If a cloud (especially illuminated by lights or the moon), moves thru the sky before you see a meteor, release the shutter and start another exposure after the cloud passes. Illuminated clouds will washout all but the brightest of meteors.

To avoid the stars appearing as streaks, shorten the exposure times, or mount your camera on a motorized equatorial telescope mount if available, or you can make yourself a "Barn Door Tracker."

Do not be disappointed if the photo lab technician tells you that your film "did not come out". They are used to looking at terrestrial images and not meteors that look like a tiny black line on a clear negative. That happened to me when I picked up my very first roll of meteor shots. They told me nothing came out and there was no charge for the processing, and I ending up with two very nice meteors for free.

If you have access to a film scanner, you may want to just tell the photo lab to "Develop Only, no Prints" and you just get the negatives for about $2, then scan the negatives and look for any meteors.

Have a good night I must sleep now so I can get up at 3am to try to take some pictures.

Enjoy,
red
photoave said:
Joe Jones said:
The S&T illustration is a little misleading I thought. It shows
100's of little impact points on the dark side, I guess to show
where a meteor could possibly hit. But remember this is a
long-shot image opp. - I only know of one verified impact flash
ever seen/recorded. But that doesn't mean that the second one won't
be caught by a Sony.
Christopher Sicard said:
Any of you guys with scopes going to try and get shots of meteor
impact flashes on the dark area of the moon during the storm?
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
http://skyandtelescope.com/observing/objects/meteors/article_649_3.asp
Philly Wood said:
Philly Wood said:
This link shows the impact zone for this year.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
--
-photoave http://phillywood.com An Amalgam of images.
Remember to place a ';' after image links in your replies so it
helps our dialup friends when viewing threads.
Click to expand...
 
Well, this is the night to remind everyone. We'll see what happens!

DeeDee G.
DeeDee G. said:
Here is some info on them. This is a great link for more info.

http://skyandtelescope.com/observing/objects/meteors/article_649_1.asp

A Great Year for the Perseids
This famous shower, rich in bright meteors with long-lasting
trains, calls for some offbeat observing projects.
By Roger W. Sinnott

The thin crescent Moon sets early on the evening of August 12th,
leaving the sky fully dark for this year’s Perseid meteor
shower. The display should peak later that night for observers
throughout the Northern Hemisphere, especially as morning twilight
begins. That’s when the radiant (the patch of sky between
Perseus and Cassiopeia from which the Perseids appear to come) is
highest in midnorthern latitudes. Skywatchers can expect to see 60
or more Perseids per hour, provided the sky is very clear and dark.
If you miss the Perseids that night, all is not lost. The shower
lasts for two weeks or so, with excellent rates in the predawn
hours of August 10th through 15th. Far fewer meteors will appear
before midnight, even on the night of the shower’s maximum,
because the radiant is then quite low in the sky. The radiant is
always low or below the horizon for countries like Australia, New
Zealand, and South Africa, where few, if any, Perseids can be seen.

DeeDee G.

--
DeeDee G.
http://www.pbase.com/deedee_g/root
Click to expand...
--
DeeDee G.
http://www.pbase.com/deedee_g/root
 
ruddyone said:
I take no credit, just passing it along. Its for a manual camera
but the ideas apply! Enjoy!

Meteor Photography Tips
from astrophotographer Doug Murray
back to spaceweather.com
All you need to take pictures of meteors is the following:
1. Any 35mm camera with a "B" or Bulb setting. I use a 1967 Nikon F
2. A 50mm lens (or 35mm, or 24mm lens,
3. A cable release (about $10 or less)
4. A Tripod ($20 or less)
5. A roll of ISO 400 or 800 film (I like Fuji Superia 400 or 800
which I buy in 4 packs at WalMart. (about $9 for 4 rolls of 24
exposures)
Any brand of 35mm camera will work (needs to have the B setting,
mirror lock up is also nice to have but not required). Old manual
cameras work great, because they do not need batteries, and you
cannot use autofocus for this type of photography anyway.
You can find these old cameras at garage sales, on Ebay, pawn
shops, or maybe a relative or friend can give you one.
Put the camera on the tripod, attach the cable release to the
camera, set the shutter speed to "B", set the aperture on the lens
to it's lowest number (for example f 2), set the focus to infinity,
aim the camera where you think meteors may appear (near the radiant
of meteor shower is a good spot) then push down on the cable
release to open the camera's shutter. Keep the shutter open until
you see a meteor go thru the sky where your camera is pointed.
After the meteor is gone, let go of the cable release to close the
shutter which takes the picture. If you don't see a meteor in a
minute or two, release the shutter, wind the film to the next frame
and start over. Depending on the amount of light pollution in your
area it will start to lighten the sky image on the film and washout
any meteors if you expose the film for too long.
You need to experiment with different exposure times to see what
times work best for your local sky conditions. If possible, take a
roll of film of the night sky a couple of days before the meteor
shower. Take different exposure times and write them down with the
frame number and f stop to refer to when looking at the processed
negatives or prints.
Other points to consider:
Wide angle lens such as 35mm, 24mm and smaller cover more of the
sky, but the meteors will be smaller on the negative and print.
You may want to aim your camera at the darkest part of your sky to
get the best contrast of the meteor, and the sky.
If a cloud (especially illuminated by lights or the moon), moves
thru the sky before you see a meteor, release the shutter and start
another exposure after the cloud passes. Illuminated clouds will
washout all but the brightest of meteors.
To avoid the stars appearing as streaks, shorten the exposure
times, or mount your camera on a motorized equatorial telescope
mount if available, or you can make yourself a "Barn Door Tracker."
Do not be disappointed if the photo lab technician tells you that
your film "did not come out". They are used to looking at
terrestrial images and not meteors that look like a tiny black line
on a clear negative. That happened to me when I picked up my very
first roll of meteor shots. They told me nothing came out and there
was no charge for the processing, and I ending up with two very
nice meteors for free.
If you have access to a film scanner, you may want to just tell the
photo lab to "Develop Only, no Prints" and you just get the
negatives for about $2, then scan the negatives and look for any
meteors.

Have a good night I must sleep now so I can get up at 3am to try to
take some pictures.

Enjoy,
red
photoave said:
Joe Jones said:
The S&T illustration is a little misleading I thought. It shows
100's of little impact points on the dark side, I guess to show
where a meteor could possibly hit. But remember this is a
long-shot image opp. - I only know of one verified impact flash
ever seen/recorded. But that doesn't mean that the second one won't
be caught by a Sony.
Christopher Sicard said:
Any of you guys with scopes going to try and get shots of meteor
impact flashes on the dark area of the moon during the storm?
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
http://skyandtelescope.com/observing/objects/meteors/article_649_3.asp
ruddyone said:
ruddyone said:
This link shows the impact zone for this year.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
--
-photoave http://phillywood.com An Amalgam of images.
Remember to place a ';' after image links in your replies so it
helps our dialup friends when viewing threads.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
--
DeeDee G.
http://www.pbase.com/deedee_g/root
 
One of these days here I would like to get some good lightening shots. At home here the scenery isn't too good so I would have to go out to a better spot and just sit and wait and hope I can get some good photos.

I have come up with a good idea here, though.... Our UPS hub that we have here is a good place for pictures. The way they have the runways set up, you can park along the road and when the jets come in to land they are only a few hundred feet above your head. Should make for some interesting shots...Man, I'm way off topic here:)
DeeDee G. said:
Oh bummer! Although, I wouldn't mind trying my luck at getting
some pics of lightening!

I miss a good thunder storm. Out here in Southern Cal, it doesn't
rain from April through October.

D.

--
DeeDee G.
http://www.pbase.com/deedee_g/root
Click to expand...
 
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