{"id":62431,"date":"2024-08-05T10:21:23","date_gmt":"2024-08-05T10:21:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/28bfac27-d4b5-4463-95d1-20a07441041e"},"modified":"2024-08-05T10:39:42","modified_gmt":"2024-08-05T10:39:42","slug":"want-to-capture-a-shooting-star-our-beginners-guide-on-how-to-photograph-the-perseid-meteor-shower","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/rss_feed\/want-to-capture-a-shooting-star-our-beginners-guide-on-how-to-photograph-the-perseid-meteor-shower\/","title":{"rendered":"Want to capture a shooting star? Our beginner’s guide on how to photograph the Perseid meteor shower"},"content":{"rendered":"

Find out to photograph a Perseid meteor shower in the night sky and what equipment you’ll need. <\/p>

By <\/p>

Published: Monday, 05 August 2024 at 10:21 AM<\/p>

\n\n

The Perseids, like any great meteor shower<\/a>, is an excellent opportunity to capture a unique and dramatic photo for your collection.<\/p>

Taking a photograph of a Perseid meteor can be a relatively simple exercise provided you know where to point your camera, and when to expect the peak activity to occur.<\/p>

With a bit of preparation, you can set up a relatively hands-free photography station to monitor the sky for you.<\/p>

Perseid meteor shower over Haputale, Sri Lanka, 4 August 2024. Photo by Thilina Kaluthotage\/NurPhoto via Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Which camera?<\/strong><\/h2>
In terms of which camera to pick when attempting to photograph a Perseid meteor, DSLRs are a good option because they offer the most flexibility for wide-field photography of the sky. <\/p>
Interchangeable lenses allow you to select the best equipment for photographing a Perseid.<\/p>
Narrow fields of view will lower the likelihood of capturing a meteor in any given exposure, so use your widest lens on its widest setting. Focal lengths between 10-24mm are ideal.<\/p>
You could also try using an all-sky camera<\/a> or a multi-camera mount<\/a>.<\/p>
If you need help working out where to look in the night sky, read our guide to observing the Perseid meteor shower<\/a>.<\/p>
$\"The$
The Perseids, by Tom\u00e1\u0161 Slovinsky, Teide National Park, Tenerife, 10-14 August 2023 Equipment: Astro-modded Canon EOS R6 mirrorless camera, Sigma Art 28mm lens, Leofoto tripod (background); astro-modded Canon EOS D6 DSLR camera, Samyang 12mm lens, Leofoto tripod (meteors)<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Equipment and settings<\/strong><\/h2>
As with all low-light and time-lapse photography, a tripod is essential for photographing meteors.<\/p>
Better yet, you can use compact equatorial tracking systems designed for light payloads to keep your stars nice and sharp over long exposures.<\/p>
Use an intervalometer to do the boring bit!<\/p>
Taking continuous exposures back-to-back with a large area of sky in view can be hard work, so this valuable piece of photographic kit should make the session more enjoyable.<\/p>
$\"An$
An intervalometer will help you take multiple shots without shaking your camera. Credit: Ruksil \/ Getty<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Make sure your memory card has plenty of space, and set your camera to shoot RAW images.<\/p>
Most cameras have a liveview zoom feature, allowing you to manually focus until a bright star appears as pin-sharp as possible.<\/p>
Bear in mind that most lenses focus \u2018beyond infinity\u2019 for mechanical reasons, so you can\u2019t rely on the focus dial entirely.<\/p>
You\u2019ll also find that stars at the edge of the field appear much less point-like, but the edges can be cropped out later.<\/p>
$\"Perseid$
Perseid Meteor past Cassiopeia, Mike Barber, West Midlands, 10 August 2012. Equipment: Pentax K-r camera.<\/figcaption><\/figure>
**Top tips<\/strong><\/h2>**Experiment with exposure settings. Test out your camera until you get pleasing results for your local sky conditions and camera\/lens combination.<\/li>
Most cameras give best overall long exposure results between ISO 800-3200, but how bright your photo appears will depend on exposure time and photographic speed of the lens.<\/li>
If lens is wide with a maximum aperture of F\/4 or faster, you can rely on 15-30 second exposures to produce sharp stars on a static tripod, whilst ensuring meteors will be conspicuous in the final image.<\/li>
Controlling sky brightness in light-polluted images should also be a consideration: a blown-out sky will reduce the contrast of fainter meteors.<\/li>
Target the highest ratio of exposure to on-board camera processing and keep the delay between images as short as possible.<\/li>
Consider turning off your camera\u2019s on-board long-exposure noise reduction to increase the rate of images you can take.<\/li>
Fewer images means lower likelihood your camera is gathering light at the critical moment. Take steps to clean up noise with software afterwards.<\/li><\/ol>
$\"Perseid$
Perseid fireball above city light, Jeff Dai, Chongqing, China, 11 August 2013. Equipment: Canon EOS 5D DSLR Mark II camera, AF-S Nikkor 14-24mm lens.<\/figcaption><\/figure>
**If you do manage to photograph a Perseid meteor, be sure to share with us via email<\/a> or on our Twitter<\/a> and Facebook<\/a> accounts.<\/strong><\/p>**
**Tom Kerss<\/a> is an astronomer and writer. For more stargazing advice, follow him on Twitter<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p> <\/body><\/html>\n**
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Perseid meteor shower over Haputale, Sri Lanka, 4 August 2024. Photo by Thilina Kaluthotage\/NurPhoto via Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Which camera?<\/strong><\/h2>
In terms of which camera to pick when attempting to photograph a Perseid meteor, DSLRs are a good option because they offer the most flexibility for wide-field photography of the sky. <\/p>
Interchangeable lenses allow you to select the best equipment for photographing a Perseid.<\/p>
Narrow fields of view will lower the likelihood of capturing a meteor in any given exposure, so use your widest lens on its widest setting. Focal lengths between 10-24mm are ideal.<\/p>
You could also try using an all-sky camera<\/a> or a multi-camera mount<\/a>.<\/p>
If you need help working out where to look in the night sky, read our guide to observing the Perseid meteor shower<\/a>.<\/p>
$\"The$
The Perseids, by Tom\u00e1\u0161 Slovinsky, Teide National Park, Tenerife, 10-14 August 2023 Equipment: Astro-modded Canon EOS R6 mirrorless camera, Sigma Art 28mm lens, Leofoto tripod (background); astro-modded Canon EOS D6 DSLR camera, Samyang 12mm lens, Leofoto tripod (meteors)<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Equipment and settings<\/strong><\/h2>
As with all low-light and time-lapse photography, a tripod is essential for photographing meteors.<\/p>
Better yet, you can use compact equatorial tracking systems designed for light payloads to keep your stars nice and sharp over long exposures.<\/p>
Use an intervalometer to do the boring bit!<\/p>
Taking continuous exposures back-to-back with a large area of sky in view can be hard work, so this valuable piece of photographic kit should make the session more enjoyable.<\/p>
$\"An$
An intervalometer will help you take multiple shots without shaking your camera. Credit: Ruksil \/ Getty<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Make sure your memory card has plenty of space, and set your camera to shoot RAW images.<\/p>
Most cameras have a liveview zoom feature, allowing you to manually focus until a bright star appears as pin-sharp as possible.<\/p>
Bear in mind that most lenses focus \u2018beyond infinity\u2019 for mechanical reasons, so you can\u2019t rely on the focus dial entirely.<\/p>
You\u2019ll also find that stars at the edge of the field appear much less point-like, but the edges can be cropped out later.<\/p>
$\"Perseid$
Perseid Meteor past Cassiopeia, Mike Barber, West Midlands, 10 August 2012. Equipment: Pentax K-r camera.<\/figcaption><\/figure>
**Top tips<\/strong><\/h2>**Experiment with exposure settings. Test out your camera until you get pleasing results for your local sky conditions and camera\/lens combination.<\/li>
Most cameras give best overall long exposure results between ISO 800-3200, but how bright your photo appears will depend on exposure time and photographic speed of the lens.<\/li>
If lens is wide with a maximum aperture of F\/4 or faster, you can rely on 15-30 second exposures to produce sharp stars on a static tripod, whilst ensuring meteors will be conspicuous in the final image.<\/li>
Controlling sky brightness in light-polluted images should also be a consideration: a blown-out sky will reduce the contrast of fainter meteors.<\/li>
Target the highest ratio of exposure to on-board camera processing and keep the delay between images as short as possible.<\/li>
Consider turning off your camera\u2019s on-board long-exposure noise reduction to increase the rate of images you can take.<\/li>
Fewer images means lower likelihood your camera is gathering light at the critical moment. Take steps to clean up noise with software afterwards.<\/li><\/ol>
$\"Perseid$
Perseid fireball above city light, Jeff Dai, Chongqing, China, 11 August 2013. Equipment: Canon EOS 5D DSLR Mark II camera, AF-S Nikkor 14-24mm lens.<\/figcaption><\/figure>
**If you do manage to photograph a Perseid meteor, be sure to share with us via email<\/a> or on our Twitter<\/a> and Facebook<\/a> accounts.<\/strong><\/p>**
**Tom Kerss<\/a> is an astronomer and writer. For more stargazing advice, follow him on Twitter<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p> <\/body><\/html>\n**
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