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SATELLITES

Image
Date

Taken by

 Notes
50_Mercury_Moon_Venus_Saturn__Discovery_Tagged.jpg (275288 bytes) 07.08.07 Frank Ryan Jr Mercury, The Moon, Venus, Saturn & Space Shuttle Discovery STS120.

10.06.07

 Frank Ryan Jr Space Shuttle Atlantis (STS-117) Docked with the International Space Station
Animation of the pass using 110 frames.

 
iss-sts.jpg (50928 bytes)

10.06.07

 Frank Ryan Jr

After a day of playing cat and mouse, the space shuttle Atlantis finally docked
with the International Space Station on the 10th of June.
I noted on HeavensAbove.com that the pair would be making a few well-placed passes
over my location that evening so I reckoned there would be no better chance to try and photograph the event.


I took the image using a modified Philips SPC900 webcam attached to my Meade ETX-125.
First I focused, set the exposure levels and aligned the red-dot finder on Venus which was setting in the west.
When the pair began their pass, I just clicked record and tracked manually.


Out of a 3min AVI, I was able to stack around 40 good clear frames in Registax.
I was really surprised with the level of detail that can be gleaned by doing this,
especially when you consider they are around 300 KM above traveling at 27,700 KPH!

 
ISS__Shuttle_10.06.07_ST.jpg (86293 bytes)

10.06.07

 Frank Ryan Jr Early this morning, we saw space shuttle Atlantis playing catch up to 
the International Space Station over Shannon, Ireland.
I photographed the spacecrafts using a Meade ETX-125 & Philips webcam.
The brightness and speed of these objects as they passed overhead was wonderful.
When the pair dock [later today], they should make an unmissable sight in the sky!
ISS_pass_Boher_09.06.07.jpg (213743 bytes)

09.06.07

 Frank Ryan Jr ISS pass, Boher
ISS_Alvor_5am_Fri_18.5.07.jpg (428679 bytes)

18.05.07

 Frank Ryan Jr At 5am on Friday the 18th it was getting bright fast!
I decided to head off to the beach to catch an ISS pass.
There was other people on the beach at that hour too but
I'd say astrophotography was the last thing on their minds!! Very Happy
They got some fright when they almost bumped into me on the
way back to the hotel!!


There was some light pollution from the Hotel on the cliff but
at least it lit the scene for me,
A handheld torch light the waves for me so as to get a feel for the moment.

I just managed to capture Uranus on the outskirts of Aquarius.
iridium2.jpg (130923 bytes)

28.04.07

Frank Ryan Jr

Iridium flare behind a mobile phone mast.
The Iridium satellite network is mainly used for
telephonic communications.
Iridium_Flare_Ballycasey_1_April_07.jpg (9768 bytes)

01.04.07

Frank Ryan Jr

Mag -8 !
WOW!
First time seeing and photographing an Iridium Flare.
This thing was BRIGHT!
It was visible for a lot longer than seen in the photo,
thats because I had the AP. stopped down a lot over the almost full Moon to the right, (you can kinda see the light spill)
and I just didn't know how bright this thing would get!

Iridium Flare Details:
Date: Sunday, 01 April, 2007
Location: Hurlers Cross (52.716°N, 8.830°W)
Satellite: Iridium 62
Magnitude: -8 -8
Altitude: 38° 38°
Antenna (MMA): Right
Flare centre is at: 52.717°N, 8.769°W
Distance to centre: 4.1 km (2.5 miles)
Mirror angle: 0.1° 0.0°
Time: 22:37:44 22:37:44