DIY Photography

Hacking Photography - one Picture at a time

  • News
  • Inspiration
  • Reviews
  • Tutorials
  • DIY
  • Gear
Search

Submit A Story

Photographers, get ready for the Perseids, the most spectacular meteor shower of the year

Jul 15, 2021 by Dunja Djudjic 1 Comment

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Flipboard
  • WhatsApp

While there are dozen of meteor showers every year, the Perseids is the best one. And it’s right around the corner, peaking mid-August with up to 100 meteors per hour. So, if you’re up for some night sky photography, now is the right time to get ready to shoot this spectacular sight.

The Perseids is active between 14 July and 24 August, NASA writes. This year, it will peak on 11, 12, and 13 August. If you find yourself in ideal conditions (low light pollution, clear skies, waxing crescent moon), you’ll be treated with as many as 100 meteors per hour. That’s a lot more than any other meteor shower, so it’s no wonder the Perseids is considered to be the best.

You may wonder where the Perseids come from. NASA explains that it’s the constellation Perseus (hence the name of the shower). “However, the constellation for which a meteor shower is named only serves to aid viewers in determining which shower they are viewing on a given night,” NASA adds. In other words, the constellation is not the source of the meteors so you don’t need to know its exact location to be able to spot the shooting stars.

Get prepared

To watch the Perseids at its best, you may need to wake up really early or pull out an all-nighter. In the Northern Hemisphere, the shower is best viewed during the pre-dawn hours, NASA explains. However, sometimes it’s possible to view meteors from the Perseids from as early as 10 p.m. So, I guess setting up in the evening and observing the sky during the night is the best option. This is what I did a few years ago, and the show indeed started pretty early, around 11 p.m. if I remember well.

The great news is that this year the moonlight won’t mess up your perfect view, assuming the weather is fine. On the peak dawn of the shower, the moon will be in its waxing crescent phase and only 13% full. Therefore, if you find a nice view away from the city lights, you’ll see quite a show.

You can find some useful tips in this 2021-2022 astrophotography guide to plan your trip and your shoot. Make sure to download the apps like PhotoPills and Stellarium as they’re very useful for astrophotographers. You’ll find some more tips here, and you have just enough time to prepare for the spectacular night of the Perseids peak.

[via CBS News]

FIND THIS INTERESTING? SHARE IT WITH YOUR FRIENDS!

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Flipboard
  • WhatsApp

Related posts:

The spectacular Perseid meteor shower will peak on Friday night with a meteor every 18 seconds Perseids meteor shower with milky way and northern lights in one framePhotos of The Perseids Meteor Shower With The Milky Way and Northern Lights! Perseid meteor shower peak starts tomorrow, don’t miss it Astrophotographers, don’t miss the Geminid meteor shower at its peak tonight

Filed Under: news Tagged With: Astrophotography, meteor shower, night sky, night sky photography, perseids, Perseids Meteor Shower

About Dunja Djudjic

Dunja Djudjic is a multi-talented artist based in Novi Sad, Serbia. With 15 years of experience as a photographer, she specializes in capturing the beauty of nature, travel, and fine art. In addition to her photography, Dunja also expresses her creativity through writing, embroidery, and jewelry making.

« Canon working on an sub-$800 full-frame mirrorless camera for release in 2022?
Chip supply shortage causes chaos in the photo industry: High prices, fake parts, gear delays »

Submit A Story

Get our FREE Lighting Book

DIYP lighting book cover

* download requires newsletter signup
DIYPhotography

Recent Comments

Free Resources

Advanced lighting book

Recent Posts

  • SpaceX shares unique view of Earth in latest video
  • Get ready to photograph two total solar eclipses this year
  • How I started (and succeeded) photographing space from my backyard
  • Insta360’s new teaser says they’re entering the gimbal market
  • Users report blurry photos from Samsung Galaxy S23/S23+ cameras

Alex Baker is a portrait and lifestyle driven photographer based in Valencia, Spain. She works on a range of projects from commercial to fine art and has had work featured in publications such as The Daily Mail, Conde Nast Traveller and El Mundo, and has exhibited work across Europe

Dave Williams is an accomplished travel photographer, writer, and best-selling author from the UK. He is also a photography educator and published Aurora expert. Dave has traveled extensively in recent years, capturing stunning images from around the world in a modified van. His work has been featured in various publications and he has worked with notable brands such as Skoda, EE, Boeing, Huawei, Microsoft, BMW, Conde Nast, Electronic Arts, Discovery, BBC, The Guardian, ESPN, NBC, and many others.

John Aldred is a photographer with over 20 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter - and occasional beta tester - of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.

Dunja Djudjic is a multi-talented artist based in Novi Sad, Serbia. With 15 years of experience as a photographer, she specializes in capturing the beauty of nature, travel, and fine art. In addition to her photography, Dunja also expresses her creativity through writing, embroidery, and jewelry making.

Copyright © DIYPhotography 2006 - 2023 | About | Contact | Advertise | Write for DIYP | Full Disclosure | Privacy Policy