Leonids Meteor Shower Tonight

[Øivind Tøien]

OK Øivind,  many thanks for the kind words, you have opened a can of worms I wasn't expecting...

Firstly using artistic licence... That meteor was not captured at that time, or location.  It was captured later the same morning in the estuary set.

However, since you asked me to show the immediately succeeding frames I took a careful look and was somewhat amazed to find the same meteor seems to continue to be visible over 9 frames.  The intervalometer was I think set with a five second interval between exposures and the exposures were for 15 seconds, The time of the first exposure file is 07:10:28, the final file timestamp is 07:13:08.  By my calculations an elapsed time of 2 minutes 40 seconds.

Could this have been an 'Earth grazer?  I haven't yet layered the exposures but they *seem* to be aligned, they definitely look that way.  I will layer them in Ps and check the alignment.  Given the scarcity of meteors Saturday night I can't see them all being different meteors following the same path.

I will post images a little later once I have had chance to prepare them.

For now the first true image in the set.

D3 + Nikkor 20mm f/2.8, 15 seconds @ f/4.0 ISO 3200

Thanks for responding to my request Robert. I did not expect the artistic part      actually the original capture is pretty nice too.

What I find a little suspicious is that the 100 % crop shows a white color on the meteor. Most images I have seen shows a green or a whole spectrum of colors. While the most intense part of it could be blown out, the weaker part should perhaps have some color. The appearance over multiple frames also is a bit suspicious. If the bright part was an explosion, it should not be able to reappear on the next frame?  But I am by no means an expert, in fact I have never been lucky to capture a meteor on camera myself. I have a vague recollection that there are some man made space objects that have a slow rotation that can cause similar effects. Perhaps posting it in an astronomy related forum could provide some answers.

[Seapy]

This evening I have layered all nine images (as exposed) in Ps, I have revealed the trail in each layer as the meteor progressed across the sky.

The visibility of the trail varies as it crosses the sky, perhaps due to atmospheric influences.

The screen interval of each trail shortens with each successive exposure, as one might expect, given the meteor is travelling away, apparently in an ark and perhaps slowing down.



The timing of each exposure is explained in a previous post.

Øivind, do you know of an astro website where I might get a friendly and helpful reception?

Having seen the layered image it seems it's either a man made device or perhaps an 'Earth Grazer' which I think I remember reading, appear to travel slowly across the sky.

[Bruno Schroder]

Isn't it an Iridium flare?

https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=Iridium+Flare&FORM=RESTAB

[Seapy]

Thank you Bruno, certainly looks that way.

Will read up on the phenomenon.

I didn't see the event, set the camera up and went to sit in the car.

[Bruno Schroder]

I'm quite sure it's that. You've been very lucky to record it. Iridium fans do plan months in advance to be at the right place, right moment,  with the right weather, to open the shutter at the right moment to record the flare in the few seconds the shutter is open to get the exposure right. Some will scream in despair that you just showed up and got it

[Seapy]

Yep, have read up on them and it's the Suns reflection in the solar panels of an Iridium satellite.  They are being phased out and replaced by a non flaring type of satellite.

I made over 1500 exposures with the D3 that night, 15 (or 20) second exposure multiplied by 1500, must be quite a long time, chance to catch almost anything!  I haven't even looked at the D300S files yet.  Who know what secrets they contain?

[Øivind Tøien]

Øivind, do you know of an astro website where I might get a friendly and helpful reception?

Great effort catching that iridium flare! Seems you got your answer, but to respond to the question I actually find that the DPreview Astrophotography forum to be quite friendly, with low noise level compared to some other fora on that site. There are some very knowledgeable members there to learn from. (There is also the Cloudy Nights site, I just monitor the camera forum there passively from time to time. It seems to me to be somewhat more oriented towards use of telescopes rather than camera lenses.)

[Seapy]

Photography touches on so many other aspects of life, one of the things I like about it.  To learn and discover things like an Iridium flare, by simply setting up my camera in a car park by the estuary, waiting for the sunrise!

Thank you.

[Erik Lund]

Very nice image, great story! Congratulations are in order


Again, your PP really makes it glow

[Akira]

This evening I have layered all nine images (as exposed) in Ps, I have revealed the trail in each layer as the meteor progressed across the sky.

The visibility of the trail varies as it crosses the sky, perhaps due to atmospheric influences.

The screen interval of each trail shortens with each successive exposure, as one might expect, given the meteor is travelling away, apparently in an ark and perhaps slowing down.


The timing of each exposure is explained in a previous post.

Øivind, do you know of an astro website where I might get a friendly and helpful reception?

Having seen the layered image it seems it's either a man made device or perhaps an 'Earth Grazer' which I think I remember reading, appear to travel slowly across the sky.

This is amazing!  Congrats for the capture!

[Frank Fremerey]

I really like the first picture with the clear reflection in the water.

Concerning the person in the middle of the street: some Englishmen are said to be eccentric. 😀😁😂🤣😅

[Hugh_3170]

Actually to get one with an Iridium flare in it is a result in itself.  I agree that the reflections are nice.

I really like the first picture with the clear reflection in the water.

..................................................................

******************************************************   

I am sure that the poor chap genuinely thought that he was out in the midday sun................ 

.............................................................

Concerning the person in the middle of the street: some Englishmen are said to be eccentric. 😀😁😂🤣😅

Edit:  Mad Dogs And Englishmen by  Noel Coward: http://www.esl-lounge.com/songs/songmaddogs.php

[Seapy]

Thank you everyone, I guess Bob Ross would call it a happy accident!

Frank, this is one mad Englishman here!  I didn't see any other mad Englishmen (and youngest son) wandering around taking photographs through the night on a pier by the well known (infamous perhaps) Coniston Water.

[Frank Fremerey]

Thank you everyone, I guess Bob Ross would call it a happy accident!

Frank, this is one mad Englishman here!  I didn't see any other mad Englishmen (and youngest son) wandering around taking photographs through the night on a pier by the well known (infamous perhaps) Coniston Water.

you are right. self reflection is an art not mastered by man  y

[CS]

Some might recall my friend, RZ,  that went to shoot the eclipse of the Sun last August. A regular "sky guy", I sent him Seapy's story about going after the Leonids meteor, and below you can see part of is response.  Perhaps some here, in what my  friend RZ (a Nikon guy himself) refers to as "the Nikon group" will find it to be of interest.

Read from bottom up.

"Cool!
I have a friend who worked on the ICESAT that was recently launched. It uses a green laser to measure it’s altitude to mm precision.
I’m pretty sure it could be photographed, if it happened to pass directly overhead at night. It would be a huge challenge to do so. Maybe worth suggesting to the Nikon group.

-RZ


On Nov 26, 2018, at 5:27 PM, Carl  wrote:

Turns out it was an Iridium reflection that fans of which would die for. Seapy just setup the intervalometer and went to his car, had no idea what he got until post processing.


Carl"