Atlantis/ISS over Brisbane 17th July

[von Tom]

Hi everyone. The Space Shuttle Atlantis, docked with the International Space Station, passed over Brisbane this evening. I was at work at the time, but since I had missed imaging the other passes so far, I loaded the 12" Dob into the car and hoped that I would manage to get a break at the right time (6:13pm) to set up and catch the spacecraft.

At 6pm I set everything up, collimated the scope, aligned the finderscope and focussed using the Canon EOS 550D in video mode. There was no point supplying power to the scope as I would be tracking by hand using the finderscope and motors were not going to help at all.

The cloud had increased to 7/8ths coverage for the pass and I was not happy but I was determined to get something this time! Anyway, I managed a few frames of the spacecraft. I packed up the telescope into the car and was back at work in 5 minutes.
Here is a stack of 21 frames, zoomed in about 4x, when it passed through cloud gap close to its brightest and closest. I don't know for sure, but I hope that's the Atlantis on the left of the structure!

Link to 32-frame video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDSCtJr8Av0

Thanks for looking.

Tom

[M54]

Fantastic Tom!:thumbsup:

I'm following NASA TV atm, it's great to see a view from the ground.
It looks right about it being on the left.

[jjjnettie]

Wowee Tom. Thanks for the image.
I captured some pics of the pass too, but only wide field
it was the very last time Atlantis and the ISS will pass over our heads. A momentous occasion. I felt quite emotional about it. sniff sniff

[naskies]

According to NASA's Skywatch data, I think we should see Atlantis and the ISS fly over one last time around 5.52-5.56 pm on Tuesday 19th?

Skywatch says they're going to be flying about 3 seconds apart on a similar trajectory near the Southern Cross.

I hope it's right... could be a great sight :)

[John Hothersall]

Excellent work Tom and by hand with cloud, saw the ISS passing over for the first time ever for me with clear skies in Cleveland and thought of you grabbing a shot and vgood detail with the Shuttle for possibly the last time.

John.

[Dennis]

A tremendous effort Tom – your dedication to this genre of astro-photography is nothing short of amazing!

Cheers

Dennis

[Matt Wastell]

Excellent to see - thanks for the post!

[Forgey]

nice shot !

[von Tom]

Thanks everyone for the comments! I have linked a video of 32 frames captured of this event. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDSCtJr8Av0

John, I'm glad you got to see it - it's pretty impressive even when it is shin
ing through the cloud.

Dave you are right, the ISS/Shuttle wil be seen tonight from Brisbane, culminating in the SW about 45 degrees up at mag -3.0 at 5:54pm local.
CalSky says that this will be during the last flyaround of the ISS by the shuttle (undocking 80 minutes beforehand).

Tom

[deanm]

Excellent stuff!

I think this type of imaging is exciting and evolving rapidly.

Perhaps it warrants a dedicated forum: 'Orbital Imaging' or something?

Mods?!

Dean

[deanm]

Now confirmed and on schedule.

Where-ever you are in Oz, check for the pass corresponding to the one over Adelaide at 7:00 PM (SA time) tonight (19.07.11) - the ISS and Atlantis will zip by separated by around 3 seconds: impressive sight!

(ISS will be leading as Shuttle prepares for de-orbit)

Dean

[Osirisra]

very cool, I really wanted to get some footage myself of this last mission but the weather had other ideas.

[von Tom]

Hi Dean,
Yes, maybe a Low Earth Orbit section?

Tom

[hotspur]

Amazing work there Tom,well done,Just walked up from the shed and at 6.12 pm and looked up at Saturn,and from it,heading towards Arcturas was to dots heading north very close together-had visual for ten to twelve seconds.Sad it was the last time ever:(

Hopefully @StephenM is busy somewhere now on his way home after gathering the final images of shuttle.

[deanm]

Tom - I prefer your proposed 'LEO' title: which Mod(s) should we engage to establish such?

Can we nominate you to be a Mod for this nascent niche?!

Mods? Speak, Mods!

Dean

[iceman]

Hi guys

I'm not against the idea of a new sub-forum but there's just not enough traffic or threads related to that topic to warrant a sub-forum of its own at this stage.

There's many more "Sun/Solar" related threads and we don't have a "Solar" sub-forum yet for the same reason.

Sub-forums are great for categorising the different types of topics we get, but only if there's enough new threads to warrant it - otherwise you just split the information up too much and the sub-forums look empty.

Cheers