Satellites

INTRODUCTION
Each image on this page is reduced in quality and size to make them quick for download, and to save webspace :-)
Sometimes, you just get lucky. Satellites are crossing the sky all of the time, but they are best seen when the sun has just gone down or has not yet risen, and the satellite is high enough, and reflective enough to catch the suns rays, and become visible to observers on the ground.

You can get predictions of Satellite passes in your location by going to Heavens-Above.com Alternatively, you can download several applications which will allow you to make predictions directly on your own PC. You do this by updating the "elements" files. Elements files are special tables that feed into the mathematics of the program to allow it to predict the path of a reflective, amongst other things.

Two suggestions are STS Plus, which is purely dedicated to satellite tracking and Sky Charts, which is primarily a fully functional astronomy program for the PC. Both are available free.

All you need to do, is have a prediction of when a Satellite will pass you, and similarly to taking a photographs of star trails, set the camera pointing in the general direction of the pass, and open the shutter, and keep it open.

ISS and Meteor 1-1.
METHOD: Kodak DX4330, Tripod, 4 second exposure. Enhanced in Photoshop by brightening. ISS is the short bright trail, Meteor 1-1 is the longer one.

This image happened as the result of an accident. I was actually setting up to image ISS using the LPI, and the Meade scope, straight to the PC, and capture an avi file. Just as the ISS was beginning it's pass, everything on the laptop froze (it happens). I raced to the Kodak, which I had setup to take a later picture once the ISS had passed through the viewfield of the scope. I turned the Kodak to the direction of the ISS, and took the shot. Luckily, the Meteor 1-1 satellite (an old Soviet meteorological Satellite) was passing at the same time, though it was not easily visible, and I wasn't deliberately aiming for it. I was amazed when I downloaded the photo to the PC, and a quick enhancement brought it out.

The following two pictures were taken at about the same time, at 9.32pm 21 January 2006, of the ISS passing through Orion.

METHOD: Konika-Minolta Dynax5D, Tripod, 64 second exposure, ISO200. Enhanced in Photoshop, and converted to grayscale.

Note that the trail goes from the Plieades, through the Hyades, and above Betelgeuse.

METHOD: Kodak DX76300, Tripod, 64 second exposure, ISO200. Enhanced in photoshop.

And a new image of the ISS 26 June 2008

METHOD: Kodak DX76300, Tripod, 64 second exposure, ISO100. No enhancements.

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