Friday, July 22, 2011
The Last Ever Shuttle Pass
Left Panel, Shuttle passing the star Suhail al Muhlif, Right Panel, the ISS passing the same star. Click to embiggen for cluster goodness.
Well, I saw the very last shuttle pass, the de-orbit burn was at 18:20 ACST, and the shuttle passed low in the south at 18:34. I got the entire family out to watch for the very last instalment in the history of this icon of space flight. They weren't impressed.
The shuttle has landed safely. Tomorrow, the sky will be somehow different.
Labels: astrophotography, ISS, Space Shuttle
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Really, Really Last Chance to See Shuttle Atlantis
The Shuttle has delayed its de-orbit burn until orbit 201, so we will have an ultimate last chance to see the shuttle tonight from Australia. See CalSky for local predictions.
http://www.calsky.com/
http://www.calsky.com/
Labels: astrophotography, Space Shuttle
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
My Video of Tonights Shuttle and ISS Pass
Fantastic Video of Tuesday's Shuttle ISS Pass
While I and many others were clouded out yesterday, Dean Male was lucky to have a hole the cloud and could get most of the ISS-Shuttle pass. The following video is made from his images. Enjoy!
Labels: astrophotography, ISS, Space Shuttle
Final Pass of STS-135 (Atlantis) and the ISS (Wednesday June 20)
The Shuttle Atlantis (mission STS-135) seen through the cloud as it streaks past the bright star Antares at 18:00 ACST. Image taken with a Canon IXUS at 200 ASA and 4 seconds exposure (Click to embiggen).WOOT! Got the shuttle on it's historic (almost) last orbit as seen from Australia.
I was a bit worried, after going on 891 ABC local radio this afternoon to get people to look at the pass, the clouds were coming over again, although not as thick as yesterday, and the twilight sky was quite bright.
Would the shuttle be visible against the twilight glow? CalSky predicted to shuttle would be magnitude -1.1, which should be bright enough, but if the shuttle turned or had a manoeuvre not accounted for in the CalSky calculations it might be too dim. All the other shuttle passes I had seen were dim.
The ISS seen through the cloud as it streaks past the bright star Antares at 18:02 ACST. Image taken with a Canon IXUS at 200 ASA and 4 seconds exposure (Click to embiggen).As I was worrying about this, and taking some test shots, I suddenly saw the shuttle zooming underneath Saturn and then Spica, and it was bright. Easily showing up through the clouds.
Unfortunately, because of the twilight skies brightness and the clouds, I wasn't exactly sure where the shuttle was with respect to where the camera was pointing. So I only got a few shots in the frame as I dithered. Still, I got one just above Antares (also, I was trying to actually watch the shuttle, rather than concentrating on Astrophotography). Dean Male also got some good shots, and we will be doing our parallax calculations again.
My video of the pass is here, and Dean's video of last nights pass is here.
As the Shuttle headed towards the horizon, the ISS rose. The ISS was much brighter and much easier to photograph (but further from Antares). For the very last time the ISS and the shuttle were in the sky together.
But possibly not the last time we see the shuttle, depending on whether the shuttle does it's re-entry burn on orbit 200 or orbit 201, we could see the shuttle one last time, low on the Southern horizon (at around 18:35 ACST in Adelaide the shuttle will be magnitude 0.5, quite easy to see, if the burn is on orbit 201). The ISS comes past 6 minutes later, after the shuttle has gone.
Still, after 30 years the shuttle program comes to an end, an entire generation has grown up with the shuttle climbing into the sky. People will still go to the ISS, and still go into space. But for a long time our ability for humans to do more than just reach the ISS will be gone. We have had many highs (like the mission to fix the vision of the Hubble telescope) and lows (the tragic loss of the crews of Challenger and Columbia) and some spectacular images.
I'll certainly miss the shuttles, to me it seemed we were on the threshold of a true sustainable presence in space. Here's a podcast of Australian astronaut Andy Thomas talking about the significance of the shuttle program and his memories of it.
But there is still a lot going on in space. Mercury is being orbited by Messenger, Dawn is sending back the first pictures of the asteroid Vesta, the New Horizons mission is on its way to icy worlds from the that will throw light on the origin of the solar system, Cassini sends back astounding images of Saturn, and the Mars rover keeps on trundling. As well the Kepler Telescope is finding hosts of extrasolar worlds. And that's just a short list.
So farewell space shuttles, you inspired us, let us remember you fondly.
Labels: astrophotography, ISS, Space Shuttle
The Shuttle Shoots Stars Tonight (Wednesday July 20)
UPDATE: Got it! Despite the cloud. Pictures later on, dinner first. Now it's later, the pictures are up.
The International Space Station passes by the bright red star Antares at 18:02:10 ACST as seen from Adelaide on Wednesday July 20, 2 minutes after the space shuttle Atlantis has skimmed the same star (click to embiggen). The ISS will look like a dot, not like the icon in the image. Antares is above the eastern horizon.
While the last time to see the shuttle and the ISS together was last night (with most people clouded out, sigh - still, you can see some images here), you can see the shuttle one last time tonight.
In Adelaide and Perth the Shuttle/ ISS pass is quite dramatic.
In Adelaide, the shuttle is approximately magnitude -1.1 (as bright as Sirius) and passes just 25', less than a quarter of a finger-width from magnitude 0.9 Antares at 18:00:10 ACST. Two minutes later the ISS skims past Antares a bit further away.
Note the time is given in seconds, the shuttle and ISS move relatively fast, and although they are above the horizon for 6 minutes, there is only about two minutes when they are really bright and passing interesting things.
The bad news is that the pass is only 6 minutes after the end of civil twilight, so the sky will be only moderately dark (although the Shuttle, ISS and Antares will be readily seen, the other stars may be harder to see). Antares is about 50 degrees (around 8 hand-spans) above the eastern horizon, and the Shuttle and ISS pass from north-west to south-east.
The path of the STS-135, the space shuttle Atlantis, across the Adelaide sky from 17:57 to 18:02 ACST (click to embiggen). Maximum brightness and closeness to Antares is 18:00:10 ACST.
In Perth the Shuttle and ISS pass close to bright Alpha Centauri, with the Shuttle passing at 18:01:45 and the ISS skimming half a finger-width away at 18:03:55. However, the passes are right on the end of civil twilight, so the sky will be fairy bright (but you should still see the shuttle and ISS reasonably well)
The East coast has the pair skimming low over the southern horizon (and not as bright as Adelaide or Perth), and Darwin and Alice Springs miss out all together.
As always, location, brightness and timing are very location dependent, so you will need to check CalSky and Heavens Above for predictions for your location.
Tomorrow night there is a slight chance we could see the shuttle just after the de-orbit burn.
Cloud cover predictions can be found at SkippySky.
The International Space Station passes by the bright red star Antares at 18:02:10 ACST as seen from Adelaide on Wednesday July 20, 2 minutes after the space shuttle Atlantis has skimmed the same star (click to embiggen). The ISS will look like a dot, not like the icon in the image. Antares is above the eastern horizon.While the last time to see the shuttle and the ISS together was last night (with most people clouded out, sigh - still, you can see some images here), you can see the shuttle one last time tonight.
In Adelaide and Perth the Shuttle/ ISS pass is quite dramatic.
In Adelaide, the shuttle is approximately magnitude -1.1 (as bright as Sirius) and passes just 25', less than a quarter of a finger-width from magnitude 0.9 Antares at 18:00:10 ACST. Two minutes later the ISS skims past Antares a bit further away.
Note the time is given in seconds, the shuttle and ISS move relatively fast, and although they are above the horizon for 6 minutes, there is only about two minutes when they are really bright and passing interesting things.
The bad news is that the pass is only 6 minutes after the end of civil twilight, so the sky will be only moderately dark (although the Shuttle, ISS and Antares will be readily seen, the other stars may be harder to see). Antares is about 50 degrees (around 8 hand-spans) above the eastern horizon, and the Shuttle and ISS pass from north-west to south-east.
The path of the STS-135, the space shuttle Atlantis, across the Adelaide sky from 17:57 to 18:02 ACST (click to embiggen). Maximum brightness and closeness to Antares is 18:00:10 ACST. In Perth the Shuttle and ISS pass close to bright Alpha Centauri, with the Shuttle passing at 18:01:45 and the ISS skimming half a finger-width away at 18:03:55. However, the passes are right on the end of civil twilight, so the sky will be fairy bright (but you should still see the shuttle and ISS reasonably well)
The East coast has the pair skimming low over the southern horizon (and not as bright as Adelaide or Perth), and Darwin and Alice Springs miss out all together.
As always, location, brightness and timing are very location dependent, so you will need to check CalSky and Heavens Above for predictions for your location.
Tomorrow night there is a slight chance we could see the shuttle just after the de-orbit burn.
Cloud cover predictions can be found at SkippySky.
Labels: astrophotography, ISS, Space Shuttle
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Shuttle Atlantis and the ISS over Australia
Brendan O'Brien captured this shot of the shuttle and ISS with his wife's DSLR and 75mm lens (7 second exposure copyright Brendan O'Brien, please don't use without his permission).Sadly, the sky was very badly clouded out here, so I saw nothing. Many of my correspondents were clouded out too (sobs bitterly). My mate Dean Male got some shots through a hole in the cloud which was not over my way (sobs again).
At IceInSpace some lucky folks got shots of the pass, some in high resolution.
The NASA shuttle site has images from NASA TV of the shuttle departing, and a video of the undocking. Via the Bad Astronomer is this video of the ISS and Shuttle seen in daylight.
Labels: astrophotography, ISS, Space Shuttle
Monday, July 18, 2011
July 19; For the Very Last Time, See the ISS and Atlantis together from Australia
International Space Station as seen from Adelaide at 6:59 pm on the evening of July 19 looking south. The ISS will look like a bright dot, not the shape in the image (click to embiggen).On July 19 (Australian time) the space shuttle undocks from the International Space Station.
That evening Australians have an excellent opportunity to see the historic last pairing of a shuttle and the ISS. We will see the ISS and the shuttle only 6 seconds apart, the two crossing closely across the sky.
Where and when you will see them is highly location dependent (although it will be early evening between about 5:30 and 7:30 pm), you will need to check CalSky and Heavens Above for predictions for your location. The East Coast ISS passes are generally short before the ISS and shuttle enter the Earth's shadow, so you need to be get the time correct.
The ISS and Shuttle are also visible on the 20th, but they are three minutes apart, and won't be so dramatic (although from Adelaide, they pass close to Antares).
Labels: astrophotography, ISS, Space Shuttle
Saturday, July 09, 2011
The International Space Station and Atlantis visible from Australia Sunday Morning 10 July
The space shuttle Atlantis successfully lifted off on Friday (US time see also here). Australians can see the space shuttle pass over for the last time before docking on Sunday Morning 10 July (after this the shuttle is docked to the ISS, we might get to see the shuttle after it is undocked and on the way home).
But...I get completely different pass times for the Shuttle from Heavens Above and CalSky. The Heavens above predictions agree with what I get using elements downloaded into SkyMap, but CalSky has been accurate in the past. What I suggest is to get the predictions from both closer to the morning, and look at both times.
The Shuttle and the ISS will be separated by a significant amount of time, and the shuttle will be a difficult target, depending on where you are, appearing out of earth's shadow low to the horizon.
But this is a historical observation all the same, so have a go.
But...I get completely different pass times for the Shuttle from Heavens Above and CalSky. The Heavens above predictions agree with what I get using elements downloaded into SkyMap, but CalSky has been accurate in the past. What I suggest is to get the predictions from both closer to the morning, and look at both times.
The Shuttle and the ISS will be separated by a significant amount of time, and the shuttle will be a difficult target, depending on where you are, appearing out of earth's shadow low to the horizon.
But this is a historical observation all the same, so have a go.
Labels: ISS, Space Shuttle, unaided eye observation
Wednesday, July 06, 2011
Watching the International Space Station and Atlantis from Australia
The last space shuttle, Atlantis will possibly blast off for the final time on the early morning of this Saturday Australian time (11:30 am Friday, US time). Bad weather may delay the launch though.
Still, whenever the shuttle launches this will be the last time we can see the ISS and the Space Shuttle in the sky together. From Australia, ISS overflights will be in the morning for the next 10 days, so you will have to get up around 6:00 am local time (for exact times at your location see Heavens Above). Depending on the actual launch time, we may see the ISS and shuttle widely separated on the Saturday morning, or close together on Sunday morning. Keep checking Heavens Above for actual times he two can be seen.
Cloud cover predictions can be found at SkippySky.
Still, whenever the shuttle launches this will be the last time we can see the ISS and the Space Shuttle in the sky together. From Australia, ISS overflights will be in the morning for the next 10 days, so you will have to get up around 6:00 am local time (for exact times at your location see Heavens Above). Depending on the actual launch time, we may see the ISS and shuttle widely separated on the Saturday morning, or close together on Sunday morning. Keep checking Heavens Above for actual times he two can be seen.
Cloud cover predictions can be found at SkippySky.
Labels: ISS, Space Shuttle
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
See Endeavour and the ISS tonight (maybe)
The International Space Station as seen looking north-west at 7:14 pm from Adelaide on the 18th of May.The space shuttle Endeavour is on its way to the ISS for the last time. Tonight (Wednesday 18 May), Australians have a chance to see the two of them flying together in our skies.
Except the view will be rubbish, both the ISS and the shuttle rise only a short way above the horizon before they disappear into the Earths' shadow. They may be entirely blocked from view if you have a cluttered horizon.
Your view is highly location dependent, so visit Heavens Above for the exact circumstances for your location.
Labels: ISS, Space Shuttle
Sunday, February 21, 2010
ISS and Shuttle Shoot the Moon in South Australia
Track of ISS and Shuttle around maximum height above ground (roughly 20:34 -20:36 ACDST, this image is printable, click to embiggen).Short notice sorry, but if you live in South Australia (and places close to the SA/Vic or SA/WA border) you can see the International Space Station (ISS) and the Space Shuttle pass in front of the Moon at around 20:34 or 20:36 (Heavens above and the Human Spacecraft centre have a two minute difference in the pass time) tonight (Sunday February 21).
If you live in parts of the Northern Territory (eg Alice Springs, you can see the Space Shuttle and ISS but they will not be near the Moon (7:34 pm and 7:38 pm for the Shuttle and ISS pass respectively). In all cases the shuttle and ISS are passing in twilight, the ISS should be easy to see, while the Shuttle may be more difficult. The shuttle is 2 minutes ahead of the ISS. Elsewhere the pair rise during daylight or are not seen at all.
More realistic view of the sky when the pair are passing over.From SA, the pair rise in the west and head for the Northwest, passing over the Moon. It's best to start looking around 20:30 so that your eyes are accommodated and you are oriented in the sky. In NT the pair rise in the south and head east (19:30 in NT).
Don't give up if the pair are a little late, this can happen. For local timings see http://www.heavens-above.com/ (require free registration) or http://spaceflight1.nasa.gov/realdata/sightings/ (no registration but data for only a few cities in any given state).
UPDATE: Bah! Humbug! Cloud!
Labels: ISS, Satellite, Space Shuttle, transit, unaided eye
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Stunning Image of Space Shuttle Atlantis and Hubble
If you haven't seen this stunning image of Space Shuttle Atlantis and the Hubble Space telescope crossing the Sun's face, you must have been hiding under a rock. It's even been of the cover of the local Sunday newspaper, so it's been deservedly everywhere.Taken by Thierry Legault in Florida, you can see the original image here (and the shuttle itself here). You can also catch up on the posts at Astronomy Post of the Day, SpaceWeather, The Bad Astronomer and Dynamics of Cats.
Labels: astrophotography, Satellite, Space Shuttle, Sun
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
On This Day ....
.... in 1820 (GMT), the HMS Beagle was launched at Woolwich Naval Dockyard. The Beagle was to carry Charles Darwin of his voyage of discovery to South America and Australia. This seminal trip resulted in the landmark "On the Origin of Species", which changed biology forever.
.... Today, the space shuttle Atlantis blasted off to deliver the final service mission to the Hubble Space Telescope. This service should extend the telescopes life to about 2014, and provide significant upgrade in its functioning. Check Heavens Above to see if you can see the shuttle and the ISS together.
.... Today, the space shuttle Atlantis blasted off to deliver the final service mission to the Hubble Space Telescope. This service should extend the telescopes life to about 2014, and provide significant upgrade in its functioning. Check Heavens Above to see if you can see the shuttle and the ISS together.
Labels: evolution, hubble, Space Shuttle
Wednesday, April 08, 2009
In Space, No one Can Hear you Blog
One of the Shuttle astronauts, Sandra Magnus, has a blog. Okay, so the shuttle has landed, but go read her post on waiting for nightfall on the shuttle.
Hat tip, Greg Laden.
Hat tip, Greg Laden.
Labels: blogs, Space Shuttle
Thursday, June 12, 2008
The ISS in the morning
The ISS shoots through the pointers (alpha and beta Centauri), if you squint real hard, you can maybe make out the shuttle behind it. Or it may be imagination.The ISS and shuttle pair were clear enough to the unaided eye, the shuttle much dimmer, as they paraded through the sky in the dawn. An awe inspiring sight.
Labels: ISS, Space Shuttle
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Morning 12 June, ISS and Space Shuttle
View of the Southern horizon as seen from Adelaide at 6:40 am, June 12, with the track of the ISS and Shuttle (clock to enlarge).If you are living in Western Australia, Adelaide and parts south, Melbourne (and parts South) and Tasmania you will have the opportunity to see the ISS pass above the horizon with the space shuttle close behind. You have to get up around 6 am on Thursday June 12 to see this, and it is close to twilight, but it should be interesting to see the Space Station and the shuttle close together.
The other bad news is that they are close to the horizon (except in Hobart).In Adelaide the pass starts at 6:41 am, passing by the pointers above the Southern Cross.
In Hobart the pass starts at 6:49 am, starting in the tail of Scorpio then zooming past Achernar.
In Melbourne the pass starts at 5:50 am, just below Canopus.
The map to the left shows the track of the ISS with respect to visibility in Eastern Australia, the map below shows visibility in Western Australia.
To get exact predictions and star maps for your location go to http://www.heavens-above.com/
In Perth the pass starts at 6:42 am, passing by the pointers then above the southern crossLabels: ISS, Space Shuttle
Friday, August 10, 2007
ISS and STS-118 in the morning
I got to see a lovely sight this morning. The International Space Station gliding over the Southern sky, followed a few minutes later by the Shuttle mission STS-118.They weren't close together, as the picture above implies (see this post for an image when they were actually physically close). I've just stacked two successive images of the ISS (taken 6 seconds apart, that's why there are two bright streaks) with the two successive images of the shuttle which turned up 3 minutes later. They were in the sky together for around a minute though, on opposite horizons.
They were both quite bright, and the shuttle did a flare as it went below the horizon. With the crescent Moon rising on the eastern horizon, a very lovely morning.
Labels: ISS, Space Shuttle
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