International Space Station this morning

[alphasco]

The very bright (-3.1 magnitude) ISS emerges from behind pecan tree gently
swaying in morning breezes in back yard at 6:34 am, today. Photo was made with
15 second exposure at ISO 400, Nikkor DX 35mm 1.8 lens set at f/4.


http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2659/...065db5eb_b.jpg

[leonaashlee]

Seriously? That's pretty cool.

[ggilkey]

WOW!!!! I got to see the smoke trail of the mission that went up in July - it blows my mind that you can actually see it orbitting!!!!

[ressalg]

I like the composition but I'd have liked to have seen a longer exposure. Without the description, most wouldn't have a clue what this was... not that a longer exposure would have changed that but at least it would have dominated the image more.

On a different note, I LOVE this sort of thing. Keep it up... DPS can certainly stand to have something different than the standard portraits, flowers and landscape shots.

[alphasco]

Originally Posted by ressalg

I like the composition but I'd have liked to have seen a longer exposure. Without the description, most wouldn't have a clue what this was... not that a longer exposure would have changed that but at least it would have dominated the image more.

On a different note, I LOVE this sort of thing. Keep it up... DPS can certainly stand to have something different than the standard portraits, flowers and landscape shots.

Thanks. I had intended to make a 30 second exposure, but a test shot of the morning sky, with the sun soon to come up in the opposite direction, showed the sky to be entirely too bright and brightening quickly. I switched to 15 sec and checked another exposure and noticed the ISS coming from behind the tree. I quickly re-aimed the camera and used that exposure, As it went across the sky toward the SE, the sky was even brighter, and I didn't make adjustments quickly enough. Those following exposures were so bright that they pretty much washed out the ISS trail. In the past, I have shot ISS images under much darker sky conditions, but I just thought I would give this nearly daylight passage a try.

By the way, to get information on ISS passages, I use Heavens-Above Home Page which gives very accurate 10-day info for your specific area. Remember, what I can see in Grand Prairie Texas, isn't what you will see in CA or PA, etc. I go for the brighter appearances with high maximum altitudes at maximum.

[BryanC]

Originally Posted by alphasco

By the way, to get information on ISS passages, I use Heavens-Above Home Page which gives very accurate 10-day info for your specific area. Remember, what I can see in Grand Prairie Texas, isn't what you will see in CA or PA, etc. I go for the brighter appearances with high maximum altitudes at maximum.

It's a pretty cool thing to watch. There's been a couple or so times now where the timing has been at dusk, high in the sky, and the shuttle was either hooked up or following it close by. With the naked eye, you don't see details or anything, but knowing what it is you're watching makes it an experience.

[mymaison97]

That's pretty awesome! And incredibly difficult to track. I am amazed you got that much of it! We watch it go over quite often...usually at night though because it is easier to see. You can track it here...and it is very precise on it's time. Planning on trying to catch it this weekend while we are at the lake. I may have to set up the tripod if I can get my bearing on direction and can guesstimate the general angle. (935pm edt over central KY Saturday night...for 2 minutes)

NASA - JSC Programs

[alphasco]

Originally Posted by mymaison97

That's pretty awesome! And incredibly difficult to track. I am amazed you got that much of it! We watch it go over quite often...usually at night though because it is easier to see. You can track it here...and it is very precise on it's time. Planning on trying to catch it this weekend while we are at the lake. I may have to set up the tripod if I can get my bearing on direction and can guesstimate the general angle. (935pm edt over central KY Saturday night...for 2 minutes)

NASA - JSC Programs

Actually, it's not that hard to "track" (for lack of a better word; "point" or "aim" might be better). With Heavens-Above Home Page, you can print out a sky map of the ISS's path for each passage along with very accurate timings for your specific location. Since it takes the ISS several minutes to cross the sky when the passage is high (the one I submitted took 5 minutes), you have plenty of time to move and relock down your camera on the tripod just ahead of it, start the exposure, and let the image of the trail form as the ISS passes.

The challenge is in getting correct exposure to allow for foreground objects to show in the photo as well. I like to do that for a sense of distance and perspective. Of course you don't have much time to change exposures or shutter speeds or ISO setting during the ISS's visibility.

[ressalg]

Originally Posted by alphasco

Thanks. I had intended to make a 30 second exposure, but a test shot of the morning sky, with the sun soon to come up in the opposite direction, showed the sky to be entirely too bright and brightening quickly. I switched to 15 sec and checked another exposure and noticed the ISS coming from behind the tree. I quickly re-aimed the camera and used that exposure, As it went across the sky toward the SE, the sky was even brighter, and I didn't make adjustments quickly enough. Those following exposures were so bright that they pretty much washed out the ISS trail. In the past, I have shot ISS images under much darker sky conditions, but I just thought I would give this nearly daylight passage a try.

By the way, to get information on ISS passages, I use Heavens-Above Home Page which gives very accurate 10-day info for your specific area. Remember, what I can see in Grand Prairie Texas, isn't what you will see in CA or PA, etc. I go for the brighter appearances with high maximum altitudes at maximum.

I'm at about 52 degrees N latitude and we've had some really nice passes of the ISS. (Another goal for me to photograph. Heavens Above is a huge help for this sort of thing... timing is everything.

[Fred flyfisher]

Very cool image Alphasco... Nice going.