Tears of St. Lovre, as the phenomena is known in Croatia, is a unique treat for any lover of astronomy. Starting from the end of July and going trough August, the night sky is filled with meteors, debris from the comet Swift- Tuttle, their visibility peaking between August 10th and 14th. Well, tonight is the night of that peak! This year one can expect to see more than a hundred falling meteors per hour.
The meteor shower is known as the Perseids, called so because the radiant (point of origin viewed from Earth) lies in the constellation Perseus. The meteors come from the Perseid cloud orbiting Swift- Tuttle comet.
The best time to view the meteor shower is just before dawn, but it can be seen as early as midnight (most visible are earth grazers, meteors that enter our atmosphere and then leave again, or burn up, creating fireballs).
Only problem for anyone in Zagreb or other densely inhabited areas is the light pollution. The best chance to enjoy the experience fully is to head out somewhere near the city where there are no street lights. Medvednica is the best option, Cmrok park is the optimal choice (10-15 minute walk via Dubravkin put or a five minute car ride via Tuskanac street), or you could test your luck on the upper town.
PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS:
Have a tripod or something stable you can put your camera on.
Use a 2 sec timer so your button pressing doesn’t blur the picture.
Rise ISO values as much as you can (the higher the value the more likely your picture will be grainy).
Try not to use exposure longer than 30 sec as the trail fades quickly.
Aperture (how much the lens is opened) should be maxed to let the most light in.
Have the widest shot angle possible.
Play with the settings and don’t worry if you don’t get it at first, there’s plenty of space debris falling on us to get your shot. It will be worth it.
