April Meteor extravaganza

Mark you calendars for 2 meteor showers at the and of April. Lyrids April 17-26 peaking April 21-22. Possibly 100 meteors per hour. Also ETA Aquarlids April 20-21 with a peak on May 3-4 with 50 meteors per hour. Let your eyes adjust for 30 minutes without white light for improved night vision. Red light helps preserve your night vision. On the 21st the moon rises at 1:44am and on the 22nd at 2:27pm. The moon brightness will diminish meteor viewing. Get out early. May 3rd the moon will set at 12:27 am. On the 4th moon will set at 1:11 am so meteor viewing will be best after moon set in the morning hours.

Can I capture them on my camera? Yes absolutely! You may be able to capture more meteors than you can actually see. Start with ISO 3200-6400. 10-20 second shutter speed. Wide open aperture f 3 or lower to 1.4 if you have. A tripod to hold your camera steady. Experiment with the settings. If you do not have a tripod you can sometimes rest your camera or phone on a bean bag. Use a times exposure to minimize camera shake.

Gather some friends. Hot tea or chocolate. A comfy chair or mat. Lay back and enjoy the spectacle.