April Lyrids

I love night photography.  And I love going out trying to find meteors on those nights when the earth moves through a meteor belt, which it does about 5 times a year.  This night was what is called the April Lyrids.  Mind you,  falling star shots are tough in this area due to light pollution.  But ever the intrepid shutter-geek, I decided to brave the elements and saunter over to the pool area for, perchance, a lucky shot.  

Here you can see the problems with too many ground lights polluting the night sky.  Tampa to the north east, and St. Petersburg to the south, with Bedlam smack dab in the middle, good night photography is virtually impossible.

This isn't a meteor, it is a plane that crossed over my lens on a long exposure.   

If one tweaks the settings, dark skies can be had, and I took a lot of exposures hoping for a good falling star.  Oddly, I was out there quite a while and never saw even on.   

I was able to get a good picture of the upside down Big Dipper.

I have been on night hunts that could get a little spooky, like the place in Northlandia out in the corn fields that gave me the creeps.  I kept thinking of Children of the Corn.  I could;t get out of there fast enough.  Tonight's base camp wasn't spooky at all.  Poolside is always relaxing, day or night. 

After a couple hundred shots I decided to bag it and wait for an opportunity in Northlandia.   

I walked away without much to offer and, sadly, this post is decidedly disappointing.  But better days are ahead.  Here is a list of the rest of the annual showers for 2015:

July 28-29 Delta Aquarids
August 12-13 Perseids
October 8 Draconids
October 21-22 Orionids
November 4-5 South Taurids
November 12-13 North Taurids
November 17-18 Leonids
December 13-14 Geminids 

Where there is an id, I'll be there.