Perseids come, Perseids go...

Pic above was taken on a Canon 40D on a tripod with an 18mm lens on f5.6 for 4 minutes on 'bulb' about 10.30pm at night 12 August 2009, looking north, north west from Brantingham Dale, East Yorkshire. Click to enlarge.

The Perseids came and the Perseids went, with a bit of a fizzle rather than the spectacular light display we were promised, but then when we went out to see them, thin high cloud took the edge off the brightness that meteors normally give out.

My brother in law, my youngest lad and I went out in the car with our cameras, he with the additional lap top so we could see what results he was getting with the very unpredictable method of opening the shutter with the 'bulb' setting for minutes on end for every exposure. The results were okay except I never caught a meteor and I ended up feeling very cold indeed by midnight with numb ears and hands and nose. There was a fair old breeze which spoilt it a bit. Never the less, I'll share a couple of pictures with you which I took when we drove out into the high, isolated and dark countryside which overlooks the Humber basin.
Pic above was taken on a Canon 40D on a tripod with an 18mm lens on f5.6 for 10 minutes on 'bulb' about 11.30pm at night 12 August 2009, looking east, south east from Brantingham Dale, East Yorkshire. Click to enlarge

Attractive area by day, eerie by night. Being rural and isolated, there were several parked cars on this particular road with 'couples' doing what couples do in cars on dark isolated roads in the country. 'There's a few here looking for meteors,' my son said innocently. 'I don't think they're here gazing at the sky,' I replied. My brother in law quipped, 'perhaps there'll be some mooning!' I'm not sure whether or not that went right over his head.

We did see a few meteors flashing briefly across the heavens and it's difficult to imagine that the burning of something the size of a grain of sand could produce such a bright effect, many miles high up in the rare atmosphere. I look forward to the Leonids in November - reminder to self - 'get wrapped up!'

I'm now going to disappear and put a shelf up in my son's bedroom.

Chat soon

Ta-ra.