How to Photograph Meteors
- 1). Select a shooting site to make sure it provides safety for you, a dark environment with little or no light and a stable surface on which to set up a tripod. MSNBC space photographer Peter Jenniskens explains that dust in the atmosphere scatters moonlight and other ambient light through the sky, so trying to shoot anywhere near a city will make the sky too bright to see the meteors well. Go to the site a few nights before the expected meteor shower and take some test shots.
- 2). Set up a tripod on a very stable surface. Lock the tripod into position once you have it properly positioned to keep the camera's weight from shifting the position of the tripod head. If you don't have a tripod, use other supportive materials to securely hold the camera in position or put the camera on the ground. When using the cable release, you don't necessarily need to be able to see through the viewfinder if you know the camera is in good position. Dennis Mammana, a professional sky photographer, says the best place to aim the camera is about 45 degrees above the horizon and 45 degrees from the constellation for which the meteor shower is named.
- 3). Prepare the camera for the shot. Attach the cable release to the camera and test it to be sure it works correctly. Space weather astrophotographer Doug Miller suggests setting the shutter speed to B, T or night setting (depending on your camera), setting the aperture to its lowest number--f2 is ideal--and setting the focus to infinity. Jenniskens suggests setting the camera's light sensitivity to ISO 1600.
- 4). Press the cable release button and hold it for as long as your camera allows. Jenniskens indicates most digital cameras are only capable of holding open for 5 to 30 seconds, while Mammana says film camera shutters can be held for as long as 30 minutes. Murray recommends resetting the shutter every few minutes to reduce the chance of overexposure. Space.com recommends experimenting with various shutter times to find what works best for the location you've chosen. If you see a meteor in your area of the sky during the normal exposure time, wait until its light has faded, then let go of the cable release button.
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