Catching a meteor on film is an interesting and challenging specialty of astrophotography. Although at a dark location we may see several meteors flash by even when a meteor shower is not in progress, most of these are so dim that they are a challenge to record on film. Even when a shower occurs, a rate of one a minute is considered a healthy shower. Meteor storms (up to several meteors per second) are once-in-a-lifetime viewing events, especially if they are not predicted ahead of time.

Adding to the photographic challenge is the fact that most ordinary camera lenses cover a relatively small part of the sky. Special wide angle lenses can cover more of the sky, but typically they reduce the sensitivity of the camera system and/or cost much more than normal lenses. Throw in a bright moon and things really get difficult. Nevertheless, one can still be lucky!