AstrophotographySSI

On the Lyrids

The April Lyrids are a meteor shower lasting roughly 2 weeks, from the 15th to the 29th of April, peaking on the 22nd and 23rd of the month. The meteor shower is located near the constellation Lyra (hence the name), close to the bright star Vega, which we used as our guiding star to locate the shower.

Fuel for the night ahead. Shot with Canon 6D + Samyang 24mm f/1.4 ED AS UMC

New Gear

I had previously been shooting on my phone with a flimsy tripod. I recently bit the bullet and purchased a used Canon 6D and Samyang 24mm lens, based on extensive research. I decided to get the wider angle lens over the prime 135mm lens knowing the meteor shower was coming up. DSOs are my bag, but I figured it’d be nicer to try and get a meteor instead.

Results

A timelapse showing the night. You can see the sky getting darker, high clouds setting in and several planes passing into view.

Whilst I didn’t capture a meteor (I think), I still had such a fun time practicing with my new gear and socialising with SSI, Sheffield’s very own space society. May there be many clear, dark skies ahead!