{"id":52880,"date":"2023-12-14T08:16:00","date_gmt":"2023-12-14T08:16:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/5426d16d-0d22-4363-b1c5-89a916d56f68"},"modified":"2023-12-14T09:33:44","modified_gmt":"2023-12-14T09:33:44","slug":"how-to-observe-and-photograph-a-meteor-train","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/rss_feed\/how-to-observe-and-photograph-a-meteor-train\/","title":{"rendered":"How to observe and photograph a meteor train"},"content":{"rendered":"

A good challenge it not just to spot a meteor, but to capture its train. <\/p>

By Pete Lawrence\n <\/p>

Published: Thursday, 14 December 2023 at 08:16 AM<\/p>

\n\n

A meteor trail is the rapid streak of light caused when a small, typically sand-grain-sized particle vaporises in Earth\u2019s atmosphere.<\/p>

Many will have seen a meteor trail before, but in this guide we’ll show you how to observe and photograph a phenomenon associated with bright trails: a meteor train.<\/p>

Sometimes the vaporising particle or meteroid is larger than average and produces a brighter trail.<\/p>

The International Astronomical Union (IAU) defines a meteor brighter than mag. \u20134 as a fireball, and if you\u2019re lucky enough to catch one of these it\u2019s a sight not quickly forgotten.<\/p>

Find out when the next meteor shower<\/a> is visible and how to photograph a meteor shower<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>

A bright meteor trail (left) flares towards the end of its track, an event which results in a bright, sinewy meteor train (right) caused by ionised gas lingering in the atmosphere. Credit: Pete Lawrence<\/figcaption><\/figure>

Brighter events can also be accompanied by what\u2019s known as a meteor train.<\/p>

A meteor train arises when the column of ionised gas left behind by a bright trail event is large enough and bright enough to remain visible after the trail has subsided.\u00a0<\/p>

Often incorrectly described as a \u2018smoke trail\u2019, a meteor train initially appears like a ghostly aircraft vapor trail.<\/p>

If you see one, the way to record the phenomenon visually is to count for how many seconds it remains visible.<\/p>

Combined with an accurate assessment of the magnitude of the initial trail, the duration provides excellent data correlating train visibility to trail brightness.\u00a0<\/p>

A meteor train fades over time but a persistent one may appear to distort and break up before it disappears.<\/p>

This is caused by high-altitude atmospheric wind.<\/p>

Photographing a meteor train<\/strong><\/h2>
\"Frequent
Frequent short exposures with a wide-angle lens will capture the meteor train as it distorts and fades. You might get lucky \u2013 exceptional trains have been observed persisting for minutes. Credit: Pete Lawrence<\/figcaption><\/figure>

If you\u2019re attempting to photograph meteor trails by taking consecutive exposures during the night, on capturing a bright one look at the following frames very carefully.<\/p>

If your exposure time is short enough, you might catch the train as it distorts and disperses.<\/p>

If you are using long exposures, say over 20 seconds, the train\u2019s definition may become blurred as it distorts and detail may be lost.<\/p>

The best strategy is to use a fast, wide-angle lens, a mid to high ISO<\/a> and relatively short exposure times. <\/p>

A high-sensitivity video system is particularly good for this type of capture.<\/p>

As ever, if you do manage to record any trails or trains, make sure your results are correctly time- and date-stamped to make them useful.<\/p>

Have you managed to observe or photograph a meteor train? Let us know by emailing contactus@skyatnightmagazine.com<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>

This guide appeared in the December 2023 issue of BBC Sky at Night Magazine<\/em><\/strong><\/p> <\/body><\/html>\n

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