THE PERSEIDS METEORITE SHOWER PEAKS ON THE 12TH TO 13TH

🌠 What Is the Perseid Meteor Shower?

• Origin: Caused by Earth passing through debris left by Comet Swift-Tuttle, which orbits the Sun every 133 years.

• Meteor Speed: Meteors hit Earth's atmosphere at ~36 miles per second (≈58 km/s), creating bright streaks or fireballs.

• Name: The shower is named after the constellation Perseus, where the meteors appear to radiate from.

📅 Peak Viewing Time (2025)

• Active Period: July 17 – August 24

• Peak: Night of August 12–13, especially between midnight and 5:30am BST

• Moon Conditions: The Moon will be 84% illuminated, which may wash out fainter meteors

• Best Strategy:

  • Use trees or buildings to block moonlight

  • Head to dark-sky locations like the coast or countryside

  • Let your eyes adjust for 20–30 minutes

🌌 Radiant Point

• Location: In the constellation Perseus, near the Double Cluster (NGC 869 and NGC 884)

• Direction: Look northeast, below the “W” shape of Cassiopeia

• Altitude: The radiant climbs highest just before dawn, improving meteor visibility

📸 DSLR Settings for Meteor Photography

• Lens: Wide-angle (14–24mm), fast aperture (f/2.8 or wider)

• Aperture: f/2.8 or wider (e.g., f/1.8) to maximize light intake

• ISO: 1600–3200 (adjust based on noise tolerance and moonlight)

• Shutter Speed: 10–20 seconds (long enough to catch meteors, short enough to avoid star trails)

• Focus: Manual focus set to infinity (use live view and magnify stars to fine-tune)

• White Balance: Daylight or 4000K–5000K for natural tones

• File Format: RAW for maximum post-processing flexibility

• Intervalometer: Recommended for continuous shooting over several hours

Bonus Tips:

• Use a sturdy tripod and remote shutter release or timer to avoid camera shake.

• Point your camera slightly away from the radiant to catch longer meteor trails.

• Consider stacking multiple exposures to create composite images of multiple meteors.