Meteor shower DSLR imaging questions

[michaelmorris]

I recently purchased a Samyang 10mm lens for use on my Canon 1000D DSLR.  I want to use it for imaging Aurorae, the Milky Way and meteor showers.

I have a couple of questions to do with mounting and positioning for imaging meteor showers.

1 - Driven or undriven mount?

Using an undriven mount will restrict me 20/30 second exposures.  It is the simplest solution and allows me to leave the camera running all night unattended as I should be able to house the camera under a clear dome.

Using a driven mount allows me to have far longer expsoures, hence picking up fainter meteors and more detail in the night sky.   The camera will also pointing at the same area of sky all night.  This would allow me to create a nice composite image, especially if the radiant is in the field of view.  However, I will need to stay up all night to make sure the camera doesn't get rained on.

2 - Where to point the camera?

If the camera is on an undriven mount, is 90 degrees from the radiant the best place to point the camera.  Given that the camera would be pointing at the same point in the sky all night (as opposed to the same point in space), the camera could end up pointing at almost the opposite side of the cosmos by the end of the night.  With that in mind, would it be best to point it so that the radiant drifted across the field of view during the night?

I appreciate that the answers to these questions will dependent to an extent on how I intend to present the final images.

Thanks

[andrew s]

Undriven will not pick up fainter meteors as they move so fast and last so little time.  Have a look at the BAA meteor section wrb site or the nemetode web site on where to point. Although video is preferred your way can work but you need to manually look at each image.

 

Regards Andrew

[andrew s]

That should be driven will not give faintet meteors but I don't seem to be able to edit it from China!

[michaelmorris]

48 minutes ago, andrew s said:

Undriven will not pick up fainter meteors ...

Regards Andrew

You are of course completely correct.