How to take photos/movies of stars/meteor shower/commets w/dslr?

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Part of https://github.com/kinu-garage/hut_10sqft/issues/692 effort and timely with hitting the Orionids peak and kids scout camping where we may have time to look at sky.

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Takeaways from https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/how-to-photograph-a-meteor-shower/

• 4 Use a wide-angle lens.
• 5 Use a shutter release cable or the camera’s built-in timer.
• 8 exposure: "500 Rule": Longest exposure time (sec) = 500/lens' millimeters before camera capture stars' moves.
  • e.g. With 20 mm lens, exposure = 25 secs.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/photography/tips-and-solutions/how-to-photograph-meteor-showers?BI=572&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw99e4BhDiARIsAISE7P8CHMhMZzlLnK1MkM_jH_UYPjJikFccafJTD1-2ZRuYQJFZ7JDyNxgaAn9aEALw_wcB

• Lens, width

  Some meteor chasers recommend extreme wide-angle lenses or even fisheye lenses. Some prefer standard wide-angle glass. The advantage of the ultra-wide angle lens is that your field of view covers more of the sky and gives you a better chance of catching the streak of a meteor. The disadvantage is that the sky will look more distant than it will with a mid-range wide-angle lens. It is really a matter of preference, but it is best to stick to wide-angle optics because your chances of catching a streak in a normal or telephoto lens are considerably less due to the much smaller field of view. Wide-angle lenses with larger apertures, like f/1.4, f/2.0, or f/2.8 will allow you to better capture the light of a burning piece of comet debris or space junk. Lenses with narrower apertures can still work, but the larger lens openings will give you an advantage. More on aperture later.

I have at hand:

• EFS 18-55mm 0.25m/0.8ft-∞ (infinity)
• EFS 55-250mm Macro 0.85m/2.8ft
• Canon compact-macro EF 50mm 1:2.5 (This (bhphotovideo.com)?)

Gemini's answer to "which Canon lens has the widest"?

To determine which Canon lens has the widest angle, you'll need to look at their **focal length**. Focal length is measured in millimeters (mm). A lower focal length indicates a wider angle of view. Here's a breakdown: * **Wide-angle lenses:** Generally have a focal length less than 35mm. * **Standard lenses:** Have a focal length around 50mm. * **Telephoto lenses:** Have a focal length greater than 85mm. **Example:** * A Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM lens has a variable focal length ranging from 16mm (widest) to 35mm (narrowest). * A Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II lens has a fixed focal length of 50mm. * A Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens has a variable focal length ranging from 70mm to 200mm. **Therefore, the Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM lens in the example would have the widest angle of view.** If you have multiple lenses, compare their focal lengths. The one with the lowest minimum focal length will have the widest angle.