Trying to get a shot of the Orion Nebula from my backyard in Tucson turned into a whole thing with a raccoon

I was out there for like two hours, freezing, waiting for the perfect moment, and this little guy just waddles up and starts messing with my tripod leg. I had to shoo him off three times, and by the time he left, a big cloud bank rolled in and ruined the whole session. Has anyone else had their astro-photo plans completely derailed by a random animal?

3 comments

3 Comments

caseys3012d ago

The real problem is the raccoon probably thought your tripod was a weird metal tree. I read a study once where urban raccoons showed way more interest in human objects than food if they were novel shapes. Your gear was just a shiny new toy to climb. Next time, maybe try setting up a decoy, like an old camera box away from your setup, to keep them busy. It's less about shooing them and more about giving their brains something else to fixate on.

martinez.diana12d ago

Totally agree about the decoy idea. That study makes so much sense now. I had a raccoon that kept messing with my garden lights, ignored the food I put out. Finally left a broken radio out there and it poked at that instead. They just want to investigate new stuff.

lily36012d ago

That decoy idea is smart. I keep a cheap wind chime on my patio now, and the noise usually keeps the curious ones away from my gear.