Tips to help you better experience the Perseid meteor shower 2023 - Part 2
After we learned a bit more about Perseids and where/when we can see it in 2023, it’s time to get technical and learn quickly how we can get the best photos of this meteor shower this year. Let’s go!
1- What equipment should I use to catch the Perseids?
So first for basic astrophotography, you need to have a sturdy tripod and a camera. If possible you could also have a remote shutter / intervalometer. The goal is that to have the most stable set up, because any movement can result in fuzzy stars.
I also recommend to have extra batteries because the plan would be to take photos all night long.
If you have a camera, I recommend a wide lens, anything between 12mm and 24mm is good enough, also I recommend having a fast lens with aperture between 1.4 and 2.8.
Note that if you are coming to any event by Zenderfull, you profit from a discount on rentals at Royal Photo.
For those who don’t have any camera, but have a new phone, such as iPhone 12 and up or Samsung S20 and up or Google Pixel 6 and up, you can try to capture the night sky with your phone, you just need a tripod.
Advanced: Use a star tracker
For those who are really into astrophotography, you can use your star tracker to get a composite shot of all meteors during that night.
See the example below by the amazing Alyn Wallace.
2- Which directions should we point our camera to capture a Perseid shooting star?
As mentioned in my previous blog post, the radiant point of the Perseids meteor shower is the constelaltion of Persus. That constellatino rises after midnight during the 11-13 nights. If you’re not planning to take a composite shot showing the meteor shower radiant point, I recommend to point your camera to the darkest location, which probably might be overhead. You will be seeing shooting stars all over the sky but all coming from Perseus.
When to look for the Perseids?
Although the peak of the meteor is on the night of 12th/13th of august with expecation of more than 100 meteor per hour, I really love watching them troughout the week before and after that date. So if you can’t make it on 11-13 august I highly recommend you try to watch the sky 1 week before 11th or after. You can also book the astrophotography night with me in Mégantic and profit from accessing Mont Mégantic at night.
3- What settings I should use?
This question is really one the things that I don’t have a straight answer but I can provide you a base of settings and from there you have to adjust depending on the light of the scene and if there is any light pollution.
Normally I would want to shoot between 10 and 15 seconds of exposure, starting with ISO 1600 then ramping up to make sure I have enough data in the photo (Blog coming up soon about that)
I prefer to use wide lenses from 14 mm to 24 mm to capture the majority of the sky and maximise the chance of getting a shooting star in the frame.
Also I try to use a fast lens, this way I dont have to bump a lot my ISO.
To increase your chances of catching more meteors it's a good idea to shoot continuously - Alyn Wallace
Interested in joining our Perseids night? we still have 2 spots available! Join Us Now!
As the Perseid meteor shower draws near, we at Zenderfull - Escapades Étoilées, are thrilled to invite you to join us for an unforgettable celestial experience. Get ready to witness the most spectacular extravaganza in our heavens, with shooting stars that will light up the skies and take your breath away.
This year's Perseids 2023 event promises to be one for the books. With a guaranteed show that will leave you mesmerized, we guarantee you'll be blown away by the natural spectacle that unfolds before your very eyes. Imagine a starry night, with countless streaks of light, shooting across the sky, accompanied by the gentle hum of the night crickets. Our expert guides will be on hand to help you understand and appreciate the beauty of the Perseids meteor shower.
At Zenderfull, we put together an exciting itinerary designed to make your Perseids 2023 experience unforgettable. Join us for a night of wonder and awe, where we'll watch the meteor shower and enjoy the tranquility of the starry night. In addition, there will be hot drinks, snacks, and comfortable seating arrangements to help you relax and take in the beauty of the Perseids meteor shower.
Come and experience the jewel of meteor showers with us and create lasting memories that you will cherish for a lifetime. Don't miss out on this one-of-a-kind celestial experience. Book your Perseids 2023 experience now, and let us guide you through the night skies as we marvel at the stunning natural phenomena that is the Perseids meteor shower.
