The Quadrantid Meteors

Star Chasing in January

 The first meteor shower of 2012 was the Quadrantid that peaked on January 4th, around midnight for the western U.S.  The Quadrantids are reported as being the most intense of all the meteor showers and also the shortest duration, occurring when Earth passes through the debris left by asteroid 2003 EH1.

 Staying true to my nature of moon chasing and star watching, I was out and ready to catch what ever action  came my way.   Unfortunately, there was the light from a waxing gibbous moon and just enough cloud cover to obscure anything but the brightest meteor trails.  Even the harsh winter night temperature was mild for this time of year, dipping down to around the freezing point. 

The lens that I choose was my wide angle Nikon 24mm 2.8 to cover as much sky as possible. The Nikon D90 camera was set on manual mode at f/8 and the shutter was held open for approximately 10 second intervals on Bulb with an electronic cable release.  And I also used my sturdiest tripod.

Noticing the descending moon setting in the west between the Wassuk Mountains and just over the bare tree branches, I made a long exposure and happened to catch one meteor trail that was visible through the clouds.     

Even with the moon glow, the stars over Mount Grant were standing out against the winter sky.

The night sky over Walker Lake offers some of the best star gazing and it's always a thrill to see what the camera picks up during the long exposures.

 

Unlike 2011, this year promises to be a great year for meteor watching in the Northern Hemisphere because most of the meteor showers are due to peak when the sky will be dark and not bright with moonlight. 
 

For information on 2012 meteor showers:

  http://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/earthskys-meteor-shower-guide

Photographs Make Great Gifts

With my Nikon and tripod, my goal is to recreate the scene as it appears in nature, to preserve in a photographic image the awesome, yet simplistic beauty of the scene that waits around a bend or over a hill. Sometimes it's a colorful landscape, and many times I'm allowed in the presence of the numerous creatures that adapt to life in the wild.

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"Reflecting Nature's Artistry"