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Author
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Topic: STS-117: ISS/Atlantis from my backyard
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tegwilym
Member Posts: 2331
From: Sturgeon Bay, WI
Registered: Jan 2000
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posted 06-19-2007 01:16 PM
   
Ah! I'm glad I got lucky last night and had somewhat clear skies. I really wanted to see Atlantis fly over since I was there for the launch, and this was the last chance for a good pass. It was only about 41 degrees high, so it could have been about 50 miles closer (and bigger in the image), but I'm pleased with how it turned out despite the hazy skies.  Tom  |
Ben
Member Posts: 1896
From: Cape Canaveral, FL
Registered: May 2000
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posted 06-19-2007 02:26 PM
Incredible images! I've seen several the past week on Spaceweather.com but this is the most detailed and clear so far. I never ceased to be amazed at this. I can still remember when Meade advertised that shuttle-Mir photo a decade ago and being wowed. |
tegwilym
Member Posts: 2331
From: Sturgeon Bay, WI
Registered: Jan 2000
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posted 06-19-2007 04:33 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Ben:
Incredible images! I've seen several the past week on Spaceweather.com but this is the most detailed and clear so far. I never ceased to be amazed at this. I can still remember when Meade advertised that shuttle-Mir photo a decade ago and being wowed.
I remember that one! I didn't think I'd be doing this myself back then. It's been a long learning curve with many mistakes and wasted passes. It will get more challenging when I start figuring out the tracking software I bought, but once I master that I'll have 1700 good images instead of the 70 that I got last night!
Funs stuff....frustrating at times though.
Tom |
LCDR Scott Schneeweis
New Member Posts:
From:
Registered:
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posted 06-19-2007 05:21 PM
Im impressed....given any thought to stitching those 70 frames into a short movie? |
Lunatiki
Member Posts: 237
From: Amarillo, TX, USA
Registered: Dec 2006
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posted 06-19-2007 07:09 PM
Really outstanding work Tom. Congratulations. |
Ben
Member Posts: 1896
From: Cape Canaveral, FL
Registered: May 2000
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posted 06-19-2007 08:15 PM
Way to go Tom! Today's feature!
http://www.spaceweather.com/ Archived June 19 if you view this later. |
Rob Joyner
Member Posts: 1308
From: GA, USA
Registered: Jan 2004
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posted 06-19-2007 08:20 PM
Thank you Tom!
WOW! |
MCroft04
Member Posts: 1634
From: Smithfield, Me, USA
Registered: Mar 2005
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posted 06-19-2007 08:53 PM
I too am impressed! I never get tired of seeing the ISS with the naked eye, so to be able get these quality photo's must be a real kick in the pants. Tonight I had some lagniappe; I was out to see the ISS at 9:00 PM on East Pond in Maine (actually a large lake) and was blessed with seeing the Shuttle trailing the ISS (I assume the shuttle was in the rear as it was not as bright as the leading vehicle). Beautiful sight! |
tegwilym
Member Posts: 2331
From: Sturgeon Bay, WI
Registered: Jan 2000
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posted 06-20-2007 01:40 AM
It took some messing around and I had to dig around the web for a decent shareware .gif editor. Here is an animated view of the ISS pass. Just remember that this is 74 frames scattered within about 1700 that I took, so it does jump around a bit. Hopefully I'll get 1600 out of 1700 frames once I learn some telescope guiding software I just bought. This really gives it kind of a neat 3D appearance, and I can see now that the shuttle was behind the station rather than in front of it.  Thanks for the comments! I have a lot of fun doing this, and always like sharing what I capture. Tom
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gliderpilotuk
Member Posts: 3398
From: London, UK
Registered: Feb 2002
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posted 06-20-2007 04:05 AM
Amazing stuff Tom. I love seeing your photos.Paul |
AstronautBrian
Member Posts: 287
From: Louisiana
Registered: Jan 2006
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posted 06-20-2007 08:33 AM
Amazing! Thank you for sharing.------------------
"I am sui generis; just leave it at that." - Huey P. Long |
spaceman1953
Member Posts: 953
From: South Bend, IN
Registered: Apr 2002
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posted 06-20-2007 05:02 PM
quote:
Originally posted by MCroft04:
I never get tired of seeing the ISS with the naked eye, (I assume the shuttle was in the rear as it was not as bright as the leading vehicle). Beautiful sight!
Tonight I had some GREAT LUCK and was blessed with seeing the Shuttle trailing the ISS. THAT was ABSOLUTELY SPECTACULAR last night....think it was 10:33 Eastern Time for me.....BOTH shinning stars in ONE VIEW ! Can't wait for tonight !
Edited by spaceman1953 |
ejectr
Member Posts: 1751
From: Killingly, CT
Registered: Mar 2002
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posted 06-20-2007 08:31 PM
Just saw the same view here in Massachusetts. ISS followed closely behind by the shuttle. An 80 degree overhead pass on a crystal clear night with a new crescent moon in the west, Venus shining brightly in the west and I believe Jupiter shining brightly in the east.At night the stars do indeed put on a show for free. So does NASA sometimes....but not for free . |
polheiney
Member Posts: 93
From: Hagerstown, MD, US
Registered: Oct 2006
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posted 06-20-2007 08:40 PM
Tonight was the first time I've ever seen either. It was great! I'm so excited I'm like a little kid!Pol ejectr - yes, that was Jupiter |
Lou Chinal
Member Posts: 1306
From: Staten Island, NY
Registered: Jun 2007
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posted 06-20-2007 09:11 PM
Tom-
I'm very impressed! Nice job!
-Lou |
spaceman1953
Member Posts: 953
From: South Bend, IN
Registered: Apr 2002
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posted 06-21-2007 03:43 PM
Same story on 6/20 as 6/19...."maybe" a little bigger distance between the two....but since I did not take out the binoculars on last night, I was able to freely wave with both arms, give TWO thumbs up.....and wish the Shuttle a safe return.Can't wait for Thursday and maybe Friday for the show, but we will be (thankfully) getting some rain in here, and even though the show ain't free, it is worth EVERY cent ! Gene Bella |
MarylandSpace
Member Posts: 1336
From:
Registered: Aug 2002
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posted 06-21-2007 08:58 PM
Space Friends,A great sighting of the International Space Station being chased by the Space Shuttle tonight at 9:39 tonight eastern time. . . high in the sky. . . NW to NE. Both were very brilliant and breathtaking racing across the sky. Wonder if Tom G got any images in Seattle tonight. Garry |
fireflyer21
Member Posts: 35
From: Evansville, IN
Registered: Jul 2004
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posted 06-21-2007 10:27 PM
Hi all,Just saw a beautiful pass of ISS followed by Atlantis. Almost directly overhead here in Wichita, KS; 86 degrees elevation according to the satellite tracker. Add this to the fact that the Cosmosphere has reopened and I can visit this weekend before returning home makes it a pretty good day. Chris |
tegwilym
Member Posts: 2331
From: Sturgeon Bay, WI
Registered: Jan 2000
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posted 06-22-2007 01:06 AM
quote:
Originally posted by MarylandSpace:
Wonder if Tom G got any images in Seattle tonight. Garry
Nope. I'm afraid I'm done for now. One more pass tonight, but it was only 20 degrees, and it was only the ISS, I think the shuttle is too low now. At least it didn't show up on heavens-above site this time.
Cloudy also, so no luck!
Once it's back in the night sky again later next month, I'll give it another try. Should be clear since summer in Seattle officially starts after July 5 - not today even though it is the solstice! Tom |
Ben
Member Posts: 1896
From: Cape Canaveral, FL
Registered: May 2000
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posted 06-22-2007 09:33 AM
For some reason the manager of Heavens-Above set 117 as "landed" and terminated sightings after 1:54pm yesterday. Based on reports on the see-sat-l list I think that as of last night it was trailing by about half a minute. |
tegwilym
Member Posts: 2331
From: Sturgeon Bay, WI
Registered: Jan 2000
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posted 06-22-2007 11:17 AM
quote:
Originally posted by Ben:
For some reason the manager of Heavens-Above set 117 as "landed" and terminated sightings after 1:54pm yesterday. Based on reports on the see-sat-l list I think that as of last night it was trailing by about half a minute.
I guess they did. I thought it was kind of strange that it wasn't listed as visible. Oh well, the visible sightings are done for a couple weeks until it comes back into the morning skies. I'm too lazy to get up early, so I'll wait for the night passes again!
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space4u
Member Posts: 323
From: Cleveland, OH USA
Registered: Aug 2006
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posted 06-22-2007 09:28 PM
Tom your pictures are incredible! I saw station and then the shuttle on Thursday night pass overhead on a very clear night in Cleveland. Both were very bright objects and they were really moving fast. When I told some neighbors just how far away they were and how fast, they were in awe.
--Marcy
P.S. Of course they didn't know that the shuttles were going to be retired in a few years. NASA needs to really work on educating the public. That's why us folks need to keep talking space to those who don't know because they usually seem interested when you start spewing out great facts. |
Ben
Member Posts: 1896
From: Cape Canaveral, FL
Registered: May 2000
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posted 06-27-2007 11:12 PM
Perhaps this isn't the right place to post it :-), but...Check out today's APOD. Wow. |
lunarrv15
Member Posts: 1355
From: Cincinnati, Ohio, Hamilton
Registered: Mar 2001
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posted 06-28-2007 11:06 AM
excellent photo. somethin I day-dream of doing myself...being at an observatory and capturing both whizzing over head.would like to see one as the shuttle is within docking rang with the station |
tegwilym
Member Posts: 2331
From: Sturgeon Bay, WI
Registered: Jan 2000
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posted 06-28-2007 06:34 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Ben:
Perhaps this isn't the right place to post it :-), but...Check out today's APOD. Wow.
Yeah, I saw that one. Amazing!
But look at the size of scope they had to use for that image. I can't afford that kind of toy! Tom |
spaced out
Member Posts: 3110
From: Paris, France
Registered: Aug 2003
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posted 06-29-2007 05:22 AM
Tom, Am I right in thinking the telescope you used to get your great images is a $4,000 piece of equipment? |
Scott
Member Posts: 3307
From: Houston, TX
Registered: May 2001
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posted 06-29-2007 06:20 AM
Amazing, Tom! Very nice. |
tegwilym
Member Posts: 2331
From: Sturgeon Bay, WI
Registered: Jan 2000
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posted 06-29-2007 02:20 PM
quote:
Originally posted by spaced out:
Tom, Am I right in thinking the telescope you used to get your great images is a $4,000 piece of equipment?
Probably at one time, but I'm estimating this scope is worth about $2,000 now. Actually, I kind of got it for free. The scope was donated to my astronomy club, but nobody wanted to store it in their garage. I volunteered my basement, but after taking it out to use about 5 times I figured I better donate some of my backyard to an observatory. About 3 months of work, it had a home in my backyard now. It is about 85-lbs for the scope alone, but now it's on a 1/2 ton of cement pier and can be functional in about 15 minutes now!
Of course club members are welcome to come over and use it, but I haven't had too many visitors yet. Tom www.eastsideastro.org/observatory |
Harry Bennett
Member Posts: 47
From: St. Pete, FL USA
Registered: May 2007
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posted 06-29-2007 08:57 PM
tegwilym,Excellent work!! I've been wanting a decent telescope and after seeing this I want one even more now! |
tegwilym
Member Posts: 2331
From: Sturgeon Bay, WI
Registered: Jan 2000
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posted 06-30-2007 04:21 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Harry Bennett:
tegwilym,Excellent work!! I've been wanting a decent telescope and after seeing this I want one even more now!
Looks like I take the blame for another telescope purchase!
Just remember, when you get the thing home and open the box, quite often you let clouds out of the box. The amount of clouds released is directly proportional to the price you spend on the scope! Heh! On my photos, a lot of people are so amazed that I hand-guided for these shots. It's not hard at all. I just record it on the computer as an .avi file, then pick out the good frames. I don't look through the eyepiece at all that would be impossible to do by hand, but rather just keep the bright dot of the ISS centered as well as I can through the center of the Telrad finder. I guess I gave away my secrets!  Tom
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