No Perseids

I stayed up until the constellation Perseus was high enough in the sky. I did see shooting stars but the spectacular ones, as is the law of sod, were when the camera wasn't ready. Soon the clouds rolled over but I did put the camera on auto and left it to take fifty photos.

The thumbnails aren't detailed enough for me to pick out a trail so it's quicker to edit one night shot at this late hour, than open each individually in photoshop to find a trail. If I have time tomorrow I'll stack them and see how the image comes out.

It's not too late. I knew that last night was the night to watch the stars but I've just seen an article publicising them for tonight. The Perseids are an annual meteor shower caused as the earth crosses the tail of a comet, Swift-Tuttle. This year they have been estimating 60 shooting stars an hour. Last night I saw nothing like that but I also have light pollution from London and clouds didn't play game in the early hours either. In Itaiy the shower is called the stars of San Lorenzo, as they are associated with the saints day on the 10th August.

Go large to see the detail in this image or get out and look north east after 11pm and start counting, and wishing!

National Geographic tips for viewing! :)