Can a shooting star really be photographed with a smartphone? Is it actually a star?
Seodaemun-gu announced Thursday that the Seodaemun Natural History Museum will host an interactive lecture titled "Click! The Universe Through Astrophotography — Meteor Showers and Summer Constellations." A meteor shower is a phenomenon in which large numbers of shooting stars streak across the sky at once.
The program was timed ahead of the peak of the Perseid meteor shower on Aug. 13, when meteor activity is at its most intense.
Open to teenagers and adults interested in the night sky and astrophotography, the session runs from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 6, with lectures and hands-on practice in the museum's audiovisual room and outdoors.
Participants will learn how debris left by comets creates friction with Earth's atmosphere to produce meteor showers.
Under the guidance of a professional curator, they will also practice shooting the night sky using a smartphone's manual mode and a tripod.
Enrollment is limited to about 10 participants. Those interested can register on a first-come, first-served basis through the museum's website — under Education → Program Registration → Regular Programs → Moon Viewing with Family — starting at 11 a.m. on Monday, July 27. The participation fee is 10,000 won.
"We hope this program will be an opportunity for participants to document the night sky with their smartphones and deepen their interest in and understanding of space science," district mayor Park Un-gi said.
The district also plans to livestream the meteor shower on Aug. 12 and 13 — when activity peaks — through the Seodaemun Natural History Museum's official YouTube channel, along with an online interactive broadcast.
seouldream01@heraldcorp.com
