Fragments of Halley's Comet

10/23/2023. I sat up very late these last two nights to enjoy the first good cold front of the season which corresponded with the peak of the Orionid shower. The first night featured one fine Orionid streaking across the Taurus molecular cloud toward the Pleiades and lots of dew on my lenses. I did get a good photo of the bright Orionid, but the results from the second night -- last night -- were better. I deployed the dew-prevention strap (and misplaced the remote control for the R6 so learned on the spot to use its built-in intervalometer). Anyway, here you go:

202, thirty-second exposures, two with meteors composited back in
Canon R6, Sigma 105mm F1.4 @ F2.0, ISO 1600, SWSA
I didn't expect them to be so green!
Make it Big!
Also: Ta-Da! NASA APOD for October 26, 2023.

I didn't see either of these. The top meteor fell about halfway through the session; the bottom one was the very last frame, while I waited for the camera to click so I could pack up and go home at about 3:30AM and 38 degrees fondly Fahrenheit.

That second meteor just about retraced the path of the brighter one from the night before. I don't know why I'm not getting better images of the molecular cloud or more extensive nebulosity around the Pleiades. Maybe the air is not as clear as I think it is and both will work better this winter.

The fisheye view from the community lot:

98x30s, 12mm Rokinon fisheye @ F4, Canon 6D @ ISO 1600
No meteors here, but you can still make it big.

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