usatoday24
The Perseids are already here and, although there are still a few days to reach their peak of activity, it is convenient to keep in mind some clues and tricks if our intention is to capture them in a photograph. Because as more than one will have proven, this is not always easy.
AND Who better than NASA to point to any of these tricks.
The first step: plan. If we want to get a good image of this rain of stars, the first thing is to think where and when. The Perseids or Tears of San Lorenzo can be seen for several weeks of summer, approximately between June 17 and August 24, and reach their peak of activity around August 11 and 12.
Where and when it is also important when it comes to circumventing the great enemy of astrophotography: light pollution. First, it is convenient Avoid full moon And the phases in which it reflects the most light, since, although we do not perceive this light, it reduces the contrast that our eyes require to see the fleeting stars. It is also important flee from light pollution that generate the lights of cities and other settlements, so perhaps we should plan a trip to the field if we want to see these stars.
Finally, we must also know where to look. Perseids owe their name that seem to radiate The constellation of Perseus. Knowing how to locating this constellation in the sky is very useful when restricting the angle to which to aim the objectives of our cameras and increase the probability of capturing some of these flashes.
Second step: the team. A tripod can be helpful. Photography will require a long exposure. Maybe they are just a few seconds, but our pulse or any other involuntary movement could spoil a perfect shot. If we do not have a tripod we may resort to a “homemade” solution, such as supporting our camera on some rocks, but that will subtract maneuvering capacity.
It can also be useful pertrech In order not to have the chamber trigger and thus avoid additional vibrations, but we can also dodge this requirement with the camera timer.
Regarding the lens, NASA’s recommendation is in angular. Since we do not know when and where the next flash will happen, it will be best to cover a lot to increase our chances of success.
Third step: Prepare. Once in position, we can start looking The constellation of Perseus. Orient our camera towards it will increase the chances of capturing the flashes of this rain of stars.
The approach, best manual. The reason is that cameras self -effect systems can be lost in night darkness. Since we will not have to change the focal point, this does not imply any problem once we have taken the ideal approach. We will have, of course, to walk with an eye: sometimes focusing on infinity is not the best option, so it is a good idea to try small adjustments until you find the ideal approach.
There is still a detail. We had said that capturing a rain of stars requires long exhibitions. Calculate how long can also require adjustments, but NASA also has a trick to facilitate work: Rule 500. It is about dividing 500 by the focal distance of the lens, and using the figure as time, in seconds, that our open shutter will remain. This value represents the maximum time that we can maintain the exposure before the terrestrial rotation makes the background stars begin to spread. If we have a 20 mm lens, we will have that 500/20 = 25 seconds of maximum.
Experiment, enjoy. Rule 500 can be a good start, but we will still have to adjust our ISO and opening values, which will also allow us to play with shorter exhibitions. We can make small changes and verify how each one affects the quality of the image or its aesthetics.
He last advice that NASA It has for those who are encouraged to photograph the persistes (or any other rain of stars) is simple: enjoy. These astronomical events offer us an opportunity to see the night sky in a different way, in advance generated by the unexpected flashes that cross the night sky on some summer nights.
Image | Fatih Turan
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