Interesting Photo of the Day: Frozen Lake Meteor Shower

Interesting Photos

Every year, during the first two weeks of December, the Earth passes through the orbit of the asteroid 3200 Phaethon. The debris of the asteroid crashes into Earth’s atmosphere, giving rise to the Geminids meteor shower. Many consider the Geminids to be the most consistent meteor shower—and it surely doesn’t disappoint. At its peak, more than 120 meteors enter the atmosphere per hour and light up the night sky. Photographer Connor Joslin shot the following image of the 2021 Geminids meteor shower from Rocky Mountain National Park and it gives an idea of how mesmerizing the experience can be.

“Magnificient View of Geminds Meteor Shower from Rocky Mountain National Park” by Connor Joslin (Via Reddit. Click image to see full size.)

The image is a blend of various exposures that Joslin took from Dream Lake using a Canon 6D and Sigma 14mm f/1.8 lens. For the meteors, he blended 60 images, each shot at f/1.8, ISO 1600 and six seconds. The sky is a stack of four images, each shot for 10 seconds. Lastly, the foreground is also a stack of three images. No wonder the image is tack-sharp from front to back.

“I spent two mornings in Rocky Mountain National Park capturing the Geminds meteor shower and took over 1,600 photos.”

If you pay attention to the constellations, you can see how the stars have a strong glow to them. Joslin achieved this effect using a diffusion filter.

The crack on the frozen lake works beautifully for the image as a natural leading line. It draws us right into the image toward the majestic mountains and then to the heavenly sky. The hero of the image—the meteor shower itself—undoubtedly is the crowning achievement of this image. It almost looks like it’s raining stars. So breathtakingly beautiful!

Doesn’t this image make you want to be there to enjoy the view?