When it comes to astronomy, meteor showers are low hanging fruit. They're astoundingly simple to see with no equipment needed. That takes nothing away from the "wow" factor--of which there's plenty! Meteor showers occur when the Earth passes through the orbit of a comet after the comet has gone by. Some of the cometary debris is pulled in by the Earth's gravity and burns up quickly causing the shower's streaks.
This next week marks the annual Perseids Meteor Shower. It is considered the best of the year, since it's often a prolific producer and comes at a time when late night viewing is comfortable. Perseids 2008 peaks the early morning of August 12, after the moon has set allowing for a darker sky.
Because of the Earth's rotation on its axis we are more likely to see meteors from midnight until dawn (by far) than any other time of the day. According to Sky and Telescope Magazine, this year that quirk of nature closely corresponds with the Perseids peak on the US West Coast. Predictions, which aren't always exactly on-the-money, say the optimum time will be between 1100 and 1400UTC (6-9 AM EDT, 5-8 AM CDT, 4-7 AM MDT, 3-6 AM PDT). If you're not near the Pacific, dude, don't worry--there's fudge factor here. All you need are clear skies. Even city dwellers can see Perseids!
So, how do you capture a meteor shower on your camera? Point and shoot--literally. Though all Perseids meteors can be traced to a particular spot in the sky (the constellation Perseus), they radiate from there in all directions. That point is in the northeast sky, but pointing your camera anywhere is fine. Put it on a tripod or or steady object, zoom out as far as you can, open your iris all the way (your lowest f-stop number), manually focus to infinity and allow the shutter to stay open as long as it can--up to around 30 seconds. Many non-DSLR point-and-shoots allow for long exposures so you can feel the meteoric love too.
Bring an empty memory card and just take shot-after-shot-after-shot. I have taken dozens before getting 'the one,' but it was worth it! There's no way to predict when an individual meteor will fly by, so pack your patience.
By the way, these little bits of cometary dust are tiny--mostly grain of sand size. They burn up high in the Earth's atmosphere. There's never been a meteor from a shower that's made it to the Earth's surface. You're in no danger.
If you catch any good shots, let me know.
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