Stars and ISS

Look closely in this photo and you see a streak. That is the International Space Station flying over the U.S. two weeks ago. (Click on the pic and it should enlarge) The ISS is VERY bright. All the solar panels hanging off of it has made it amazingly reflective of sunlight. So much so that some folks are spotting it during the daytime. It was low on the horizon the evening I made this picture. Not the best locality for observing or photographing.

I also made some "star-shots". Here is one. Again, click on it and you should see an enlarged version. It is a bit "noisy" but the stars are very obvious. I am interested in doing some astrophotography but the equipment costs are significant. It would require me purchasing a different mount for my telescope and some other equipment used to attach my DSLR to the telescope. Maybe later.

In the mean time, check out the web site "Heavens Above" to see when the ISS will next pass over. You will need to enter your locality. I have found it amazingly accurate in the predictions it offers. Finally, life may be like a box of chocolates - never knowing what you get. In this last image, if you click on it, you will see a surprise. I was unaware of it until closer examination. It is amazing how much "stuff" is flying through our atmosphere.