ISS detail - my first attempt

[iceman]

Well, it's no Ralf but I was happy to have captured something on video when watching it back afterwards, given my problems described below.

With a favourable ISS pass over my area last night (54deg max altitude, -2.1 mag), I decided to try and capture it with my 12" newt, unfiltered DMK21AF04 + 2x barlow.

I decided that a dob-based approach would give me the most flexibility in trying to manually track the ISS in the finderscope, so I set my 12" newt back in its dob base, instead of on the EQ6.

Conditions were absolutely horrible. A very gusty wind, with thick low clouds, and it wasn't even dark yet (20:16 local time, sunset ~19:50). It meant I couldn't find ANY stars to align my finderscope with the DMK, so I just had to hope it was aligned. It also meant I couldn't find a comparable brightness star to set the exposure, so I just hoped that leaving it on auto-exposure would allow the software to pick the right brightness for the histogram.

I captured at 30fps, and after 5000 frames, I got 4 useful images :) Not a great strike rate :) The ISS made an appearance in probably a hundred+ frames, but they were all overexposed. The ISS wasn't in the FOV long enough for the software to adjust the exposure/shutter :(
So, next time I have to hope for a darker pass, so I can find some stars to align the finderscope and set the exposure. I'll choose a faster shutter to freeze the ISS as it wanders through the frame with bad hand tracking :)
I was actually lucky I had the moon up, so I could focus on the moon - otherwise I wouldn't have even been able to focus before the pass.

Anyway, here's the ISS. The 2nd attachment is an example of the overexposure, and that's a good one. Most times it was a long white streak. The third attachment shows the conditions in a 181sec exposure with my 350D. You can faintly see the ISS streak.

Thanks for looking.

[Lee]

Pretty flash for a first try Mike.....

[sheeny]

That's great for a first attempt Mike! Especially given the challenges you were presented with! Well done! The long exposure image speaks volumes to me about the conditions, but the end result is pure art!

Al.

[Astro78]

:eyepop:

What, great 1st attempt??

That's remarkable - looking forwards to future images.

[Dennis]

Nice work Mike. What next - exo planets! LOL

Cheers

Dennis

[tornado33]

Yep, great first go. As for exposure, where I got lucky was the camera was already set for correct lunar exposure, so set your camera on the moon and lock that exposure and gain in and youre laughing.
I was at the Newcastle Space Frontier Society meeting tonight so unable to image the ISS but did let everyone know when it was coming over, we got a good view of it.
Scott

[[1ponders]]

Well I take my hat off to you Mike.

We had a -2.8 ISS tonight, it wasn't moving too fast and it was all I could do to keep it in the finderscope of the Dob, let alone see it through the eyepiece. To be able to get it on screen would have been beyond my effort. :bowdown to the ISS images with their wonderdobs!!

[seeker372011]

getting there... next time once you get it right we can probably expect to see a space walking astronaut LOL

[Ric]

Well done Mike, I think it's simply amazing just to be able to see let alone capture an image of the ISS.

Cheers

[Astro78]

Do you guys think it would actually be possible to capture a spacewalk? All situations prevailing of course...

[bird]

nicely done, that's one of the really tough things on my list to try one day...

cheers, Bird

[iceman]

Thanks guys, it was fun trying but definitely difficult to get something good. I'm amazed at the images Ralf and other guys get on a regular basis.

But it's inspired me to keep trying! If I got 5000 frames of nothing it would've been disheartening :)

[davidpretorius]

yes, very nice!

I tried this once and man it was difficult!

[tornado33]

If an astronaut was well away from the station, eg on those Manned Manouvering Units, it would be possible to capture it but if they were working on the station itself, they wouldnt show up. A docked Shuttle would though.
Scott

[Orion]

That must be hard to do.
How do you track something like that?

[Space]

Very good
Cheer
Bravo.:thumbsup:

[tornado33]

Yes its hard to track. Not only that but try and keep it as still as possible in the field of view, most of my pics were blurred by scope movement in relation to the ISS. Next time I will try and be better prepared and practise moving the scope around as smoothly as possible.
Scott

[Inmykombi]

Well done again.

I dont know how you do it.
When I see the ISS during a usually fast pass, I barely have enough time to get the binos to my head for a " squiz".
Cant imagine how you could get a photo of it.

Cant wait till the next photos are posted.

[citivolus]

Geoff: Your scope can track satellites :) Download the latest orbital elements using the Autostar updater, select your satellite to track, and it will get lined up waiting for the pass. Basically you tell it when the satellite has entered the frame, and it does the rest. See page 34 of your manual.

[Chrissyo]

Fantastic shots there Mike! You're doing better than me with your first shot - I didn't get ANY frames for my first. :P Great image scale too!