(meteorobs) Photographing a meteor - like fishing or worse

[Ed Majden]

on 8/9/05 5:22, Al Degutis at al.degutis at gmail.com wrote:

> Photographing a meteor is worse than fishing. Almost every morning
> I've gone out to observe I've taken my digital SLR out with me. Over
> the weekend it was piggybacked on my LX200 telescope but all the other
> times it's been tripod mounted. Of course, getting a meteor in the FOV
> takes a lot of luck, especially one bright enough to show up in the
> image. I've shot over 400 third second exposures and have two possible
> very faint meteors.

    If I understand you correctly your trying to capture a meteor photo by
actuating your camera shutter using a short 1/3 second exposure when you see
a meteor in the field of view.  Your technique is entirely wrong.  First, if
your exposure length is only 1/3 of a second this is too short.  Many
meteors leave tracks lasting 1 second or longer.  You did not state the type
of Digital Camera you are using.  If it is a manual capable camera like the
Canon EOS or Nikon type Digital's, you should determined how long an
exposure you can take before background noise becomes objectionable.  I
suggest trying 5 or even 10 minute exposures depending on the film speed
setting you have set with your camera.  400 ASA is probably a good setting
to start with.  Then take a series of time exposures at these settings with
the hope that a meteor crosses your camera field of view.  Trying to actuate
a shutter when you see a meteor is probably too late to capture an image of
it.  Take several time exposures.  If no meteor crosses the camera field
during your exposure simply dump that frame and re-use it again.  Your not
using up film as you would with a conventional camera.  Some of the new
digital cameras will even let you program a sequence of exposures using a
computer program to control this.  With a digital or other battery dependent
camera, battery drain is a problem.  Use an auxiliary power pack of some
sort rather than the internal battery of the camera.  I hope these
suggestions help!

Ed Majden  B.C. - Fireball Network Coordinator
West Coast Sandia Bolide Detection Station
Courtenay B.C. CANADA

http://members.shaw.ca/epmajden/index.htm