Colorado Springs Astronomical Society

Leonid Meteor Shower

What?…listening for meteors? Why not!

Got a short-wave radio? Or an AM/FM with a short-wave band you ignore most of the time?

Good. Tune the short-wave to a weak and distant station. Try to stay above 15 megahertz (MHz). Keep the volume real low. Now, when a meteor comes barreling into our atmosphere and becomes visible, usually between 80 and down to 25 miles or so, it will ionize the air along its flight path.

This very temporary “reflector” of radio waves should cause the volume of the station’s signal to rise sharply with even the possibility of Doppler change in pitch to occur. Give it a try and let me know of your success or ongoing trials.

by Dave Martin, skyhawk1@pcisys.net

Have you ever wanted to try taking astrophotos but have not been sure where to start? What type of film should you use? What type of camera is needed? How long of an exposure should you use? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then this article is for you. I’ll discuss what to look for in a camera, what films work well and some of the equipment and techniques used in basic astrophotography. Continue reading Astrophotography for Beginners