OT: Perseids

jrazz wrote on 8/13/2007, 11:26 AM

I went out last night and watched the sky for about an hour and saw some pretty amazing sights. Within that hour I saw about 12 or so meteors enter the atmosphere and a ton of stars. I went about 20 miles or so outside the city and saw the sky like I haven't seen in years.

Tonight I plan on going back out for a while with my SLR to take some long exposure shots and see what I can capture.

Do any of you all in the Northern Hemisphere plan on making it out to take a look? I was curious if any of you are videotaping the event? If you are, what are you using to do so?

j razz

Comments

Tim L wrote on 8/13/2007, 3:46 PM

I live out in the country in southwest Ohio, and have decent but not spectacular night skies. (High haze/humidity in the summer, and not all that far from Dayton's light pollution.)

I was out for a short time (20 minutes?) Saturday night, and saw a really good meteor (bright gold colored, left a trail, maybe 45 degrees of travel across the sky?) right after I went out, but after that saw just a few, not-very-spectacular ones.

Was out for maybe 30 minutes last night, and saw maybe 6 or 7 -- a few good ones, a few that were barely visible. Then clouds rolled in.

Tim L

farss wrote on 8/13/2007, 6:41 PM

Serena some time ago posted some great shots of a comet taken with nothing more than a Z1.

Serena wrote on 8/13/2007, 6:59 PM

The shower should peak Monday night and you should aim your wide angle lens at a point above the mid of the constellations of Perseus and Cassiopeia (which is their apparent radiant point). Perseid meteors are visible in every part of the sky. But wherever you see them, they appear to be moving away from the shower's radiant point. That's about NE (less 5 deg) at around 45 deg elevation at 11pm (NAm). It doesn't really matter where in the sky you watch; meteors can appear anywhere. Just watch where it's darkest, usually straight up. It's probably best not to stare directly at the radiant, because meteors there leave short trails.

Serena wrote on 8/13/2007, 7:06 PM

Indeed, Bob. One third second shutter, 18dB gain, f/1.6 . I would have preferred to use a still camera but didn't have one with me! I guess the Z1 would record meteor trails because they're much brighter than comets, but even at the peak rate of 80 per hour there wouldn't be many Perseids spectacularly within the FOV. Dark site, digital camera on tripod, wide angle, shutter open.

jrazz wrote on 8/14/2007, 11:22 AM

I did not see but about 6 faint ones in about an hour and a half. I saw way more on Sunday night. Anyways, here is a link to a couple pictures I took from last night of the sky.

j razz

Serena wrote on 8/14/2007, 7:55 PM

Yes, not easy. You were looking in the right direction.
They were predicted to be brightest in the hour or so before dawn.