Twisted Meteor Train - A Sight to Behold

[meteor]

I have seen this recent photo of a twisted meteor train

http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap050202.html

As the image shows, the meteor followed an spiral path, I couldn't imagine that such thing was possible. Does somebody here take photos of meteors? Ever photographed a twisting path?

 

[turbo]

I have never seen one wobble, but of course that might not be evident visually, just in a photo. I was setting up my little 5.5" JSO in a cornfield one night in August about 20 years ago, and was tightening the wingnuts on the tripod braces when I saw a shadow of the tripod legs sweeping around on the ground. I looked up and saw a VERY bright meteor almost overhead. It broke up (like it split into pieces) and then did it again (not so dramatic) and then finally burned out (or at least stopped glowing). I was awe-struck. It was the best meteor I had ever seen. I looked down to continue setting up the 'scope and when I looked up, there was a bright streak in the sky. I thought at first that it was a burn-in on my retina, because the meteor had been so bright, but quickly realized that it was a glowing contrail in the sky where the meteor had passed. Over the next 5-10 minutes, The glowing trail slowly drifted from West to East (along with the prevailing winds in this area) and finally faded from view.

From time to time, when meteor showers were forecast, I would take one of my 35mm cameras with a wide angle lens and locking release, set it on "B" (mirror up, shutter open until you release the shutter button) to try to capture bright meteors streaking across arcing star trails. I didn't have a camera with me that night - it was a quick trip to do an hour or two of observing, and I didn't bother to take one.