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 Creating beautiful photos of
a meteor shower is not as tough as as one
might imagine. All you need is a camera capable of time exposures, a fast lens
(preferably f/2 or faster), a high ISO setting on your digital camera or fast color film (e.g., Ektachrome
400, P-1600 slide film, etc.), a tripod
and a locking cable release. Oh, and plenty of luck!
Find a location far from city lights, set up your camera on the tripod and aim it toward the sky. Since
we have no idea where a meteor might fall, it's always best to aim your camera about 45 degrees away from
the shower's radiant (the constellation for
which it's named),
and about 45 degrees above the horizon).
IWith the lens open all the way, expose the
film for five to thirty minutes. If you're shooting with a digital
camera, you may be limited to exposures of
only 15-30 seconds (anything longer may
produce more noise than anything else!) By doing so, you will accumulate faint starlight on
the film. Since the Earth is rotating during the night, the stars will appear to
"trail" across the film. When processed, your shots will show parallel
star trails and, if you're very lucky, meteor streaks crossing the trails. |