Moonshadow And the Perseids

AUGUST 12-13.  This was the night when Perseid's was at it's most active.  Camera - Check.  Tripod - Check.  Memory card - Check.  Full batteries - Check.  Nice black sky?  Well, it just so happened that on this night we also had a full moon.  This is a lot like being invited over to a pool party and discover there's no water in the pool.  The ability to photograph streaking meteors is determined by how dark your sky is, and luck, of course.  

Moon Light

The above raw picture was taken just below the moon on the evening of the highest Perseid's meteor shower.  You can see the moon beams from the upper right hand corner.    So much light from the moon obscured the sky for the meteor show that it was almost pointless to try to observe anything with the naked eye.   

With Moon Light

But that didn't mean there wasn't any activity for the eye of the camera.  In this picture you can see, barely, a shooting star on the right side maybe 2/3's of the way down.  

Without Moon Light

Do some lightening of the same picture and you clearly see the meteor.  By the way they travel at approximately 140,000 miles per hour.  They make their streak by bouncing,  entering, and usually burning up in earth's atmosphere.

With Moon Light

Let's try this again.  With moon's light you are unable to see the falling star.

Without Moon Light

But do a a little lightening clearly shows a falling star on the left side of the picture about halfway down.

With Moon Light

Without Moon Light 

Note:  the stars in the next couple of pictures look like rectangles.  This is because the pictures were taken at a 30 second timed exposure, and that's how far the stars move in the sky at that length of time.  

With Moon Light

Without Moon Light

 With Moon Light

Without Moon Light

They call professionals who take pictures of the night sky and stuff that happens up there astrophotographers.  Guys like me are just lucky amateurs.  The fun is not just in heading inside to see what you have captured, but in sitting in the lawn chair with the greatest view on earth.  It's like you are the only one awake, and in your own spacecraft floating through space.  Next time you are up at 3 AM, try walking outside and spend some time gazing up.  It is an amazingly active show.  Besides the stars and occasional planets you will see satellites, the international space station (ISS),  maybe a UFO*, planes, and if you are lucky, a shooting star.  

*On one of my treks outside in August in Northlandia, I saw a light high above, like a high-flying jet or maybe more like the ISS.  I stared at it awhile, and noticed it didn't have the usual blinking light of an airplane.  It's trajectory was pretty routine but then it veered to the left and I soon lost it.  

A plane would have had blinking lights, a satellite would likely not have changed course, likewise the ISS.  What was it?  Well, I don't believe in alien UFO's so it must have been something else, but danged if I know.