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Canon EOS-350D Rebel XT
 08/12/2003 08:23:20 PM · #1
Get ready for the Perseid Meteor Shower! Named after the constellation Perseus, the display will peak on Aug. 13. Mars will also be easily visible in the night sky -- on Aug. 27, it will be the closest it's been to Earth in almost 60,000 years.

Tips for Viewing the Perseids:

1. The best time to view the shower is between midnight and dawn on Aug. 13.

2. If you're lying on a blanket, point your feet towards the southeast and look up.

3. Try not to look at the moon so that your eyes can adjust to the dark.

4. Mars will also be easily visible to the naked eye. The best time to view the planet is around 11PM in the southeastern sky.

I think you can see this shower all over the U.S. but go to this site just to check.

*Can anyone give tips on how to photograph this? I read that you need 'bulb' so that would rule out my digital camera.*
Canon EOS-40D
Canon EF 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 DO IS USM
 08/12/2003 08:51:52 PM · #2
You might be able to get something with a 15 second or less exposure.

The earth's rotation might come into play as well (star trails if the camera is not moving at the same speed of the earth). I don't know at what point this comes in but I think it's at around 20 seconds.

This site might help.

//www.space.com/spacewatch/persieds_tips_020806.html

According to this article, having the camera fixed on a tripod is not a problem.

Message edited by author 2003-08-12 20:58:07.
Canon EOS-350D Rebel XT
 08/12/2003 09:10:10 PM · #3
oh yippee, i found out i do have bulb on my digital!
 08/12/2003 11:17:00 PM · #4
just becarefull not to over use the bub mode....you can get lots of sensor noise in your images when the CCD heats up too much.

But to avoid star trails stick with about a 15 to 18 second exposure and just take a bunch of shots....

unless you want to do a few 2 minute exposures (low ISO setting, say 400) and shut the camera off between exposures for about 5 to 10 minutes depending on how warm it is where you are at.... but you will get star trails....


here is a 20 second ISO 400 shot I did out at the George Observatory last month
Scorpius

James

Message edited by author 2003-08-12 23:20:31.
 08/12/2003 11:43:41 PM · #5
You can also take a lenscap shot with the same exposure time as other shots and use it in PS to subtract the noise.
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