STS 133 - Discovery on her final mission

[andrewkw]

Not the greatest of pictures, but I am very pleased that I got this and you can at least make out the shape. About 200 miles away and moving at 17 000 mph. It was amazing to see the shuttle and ISS pass by within a couple degrees of each other. I had hoped to get a chance to image them docked but clouds prevented it.

 

[thefuz]

Awesome shot!! What kind of equipment grabbed this?

 

[andrewkw]

Celestron 8" telescope
The Imaging Source DMK 21AF04.AS camera. It's a still from a video shot at 60 frames per second to assure myself I would get it in the shot. Manually tracked. As soon as I saw it in the sky I just pointed the scope at it. I got several frames but they all look pretty similar.

 

[thefuz]

Hand tracking!! I admit, I have very limited experience with telescopes thus far, but I definitely want to get one at some point in the future. How's 8" suit you? I played around with a 6" Newtonian a while back and it was definitely great to check out the crescent moon and such. Astrophotography seems complex though - to do it right, at least. Is it difficult to manage the optics given temperature fluctuations and such (I live in the Connecticut and the best viewing for us is when it's cold and clear).

Alas, one major hobby choice at a time - I'm just setting up a 90 gallon reef... mostly to make good use of a new Nikon macro lens I picked up a few months ago.

 

[fppf]

I was in the middle of lake eire during an over night sail boat race when the ISS did a pass by. It was perfect horizon to horizon. It was so bright in the sky and clear you could actually make out the shape with the naked eye. That and we where surrounded by black water with the nearest city over 50 miles away.

 

[jbird69]

I was in the middle of lake eire during an over night sail boat race when the ISS did a pass by. It was perfect horizon to horizon. It was so bright in the sky and clear you could actually make out the shape with the naked eye. That and we where surrounded by black water with the nearest city over 50 miles away.

Wow! That sounds really cool

 

[andrewkw]

Hand tracking!! I admit, I have very limited experience with telescopes thus far, but I definitely want to get one at some point in the future. How's 8" suit you? I played around with a 6" Newtonian a while back and it was definitely great to check out the crescent moon and such. Astrophotography seems complex though - to do it right, at least. Is it difficult to manage the optics given temperature fluctuations and such (I live in the Connecticut and the best viewing for us is when it's cold and clear).

Alas, one major hobby choice at a time - I'm just setting up a 90 gallon reef... mostly to make good use of a new Nikon macro lens I picked up a few months ago.

I'm not sure if there is software to track the space shuttles I know there is for the ISS but never got around to installing. I never hand track anythign since my scope is go to, ISS and shuttle are the only objects I would ever do like this. Maybe Hubble but for some reason it never passes over me.

The C8 is a jack of all trades scope. You can do some astrophotography, its good for looking at the planets, and will show deep space objects well depending on your location.

99.9% of my telescope time is imaging. I live in a heavily haevily light polluted area so 90% of what I image I can't see. Only the planets offer a good view regardless of where you are.

I'm actually "downgrading" to an RC 6" but this telescope is designed for astrophotography that's why I'm changing. I'll still have the C8 but it will only be used for planetary and ISS imaging.

Eventually I want to get a an 11" which is the most weight I can put on my mount for planetary imaging but that is still some time away.

Here's an animation I made of all the discovery frames I captured

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bE-TiA6lVD4

 

[ironeagle2006]

Try being 30 miles away from Kennedy when a Shuttle Lifts off. You can see and HEAR it lift off.

 

[Snookster]

I'm not sure if there is software to track the space shuttles I know there is for the ISS but never got around to installing. I never hand track anythign since my scope is go to, ISS and shuttle are the only objects I would ever do like this. Maybe Hubble but for some reason it never passes over me.

try http://heavens-above.com/

Try being 30 miles away from Kennedy when a Shuttle Lifts off. You can see and HEAR it lift off.

or 7 miles...

 

[thefuz]

Causeway shots - nice! That is a sweet vantage point. Wish I had my current cam and a solid lens when I was there. What'd you take these with?

 

[Snookster]

Took those with a Sony Cybershot DSC - H7. There's good chance I might get to go see one of the other launches from the same spot - I'll get a SLR with a monster lens if a another pass becomes available (good chance).

 

[thefuz]

Well, there's likely only 1 left - maybe 2 - definitely do anything ya can to get there! I've seen 2 launches of Discovery: STS-120 from Titusville and STS-119 from the causeway. Both were great, but the causeway view was spectacular. It was a dusk launch so the vapor trail got lit up like it was on fire. Really cool noctilucent-like effect afterwards. Just wish I had my current camera (D90) vs. a Canon G9.