Astronomical Odds

At the end of March, 2008 the European Automatic Transfer Vehicle (ATV) was being tested and orbitting close to the ISS. On 30th March I photographed them in the same patch of sky 2 minutes apart but on slightly different orbits. On 31st March they were much closer and I took a 68 second capture with the EOS350 at ISO1600 with an 18mm lens expecting the ISS and ATV to see parallel tracks. I kept the shutter open as first the ATV, then the ISS dissapeared into shadow. As it turned out they were on the exactly same orbit (as seen from Earth) and the ISS track “overwrote” the ATV.

The image on the right was the next day when I captured the ATV and ISS as seperate tracks using a 17 second capture with the EOS350 at ISO1600 with an 18mm lens. I estimate the ISS was about 22 seconds behind the ATV.

Images of the International Space Station docked with the Space Shuttle Atlantis passing over my home location. These images have been edited to remove the effects of light pollution, but there is still an orange reflection from the clouds.

Passing by the Pleiades and Mars on February 17, 2008. Twenty second exposure at ISO1600 with an 18mm lens on the EOS350 DSLR.

Atlantis and the ISS dissappearing into the bow of Orion on February 18, 2008. 35 second exposure at ISO1600 with an 18mm lens on the EOS350 DSLR.