ISS Moon Transit

Photos that are not aviation related
Post Reply
User avatar
Col. Chibani
Posts: 436
Joined: Sun 27 Mar 2016, 8:15 pm

ISS Moon Transit

Post by Col. Chibani »

When my company organized an ISS photo contest, I decided that it was the opportunity for me to discover the wonderful world of astrophotograhy.
I know a guy that made a wonderful shot of the ISS passing in front of the Sun (this is called a "solar transit"), while the shuttle was making it final approach !
Being not equiped to shoot the Sun (reminder DO NOT NEVER NEVER TRY TO LOOK AT THE SUN THROUGH YOUR DSLR : THIS CAN CAUSE SEVERE EYE INJURIES, INCLUDING BLINDNESS), I opted for a more peaceful Moon transit.
I quickly get introduced with http://www.CalSky.com website, that predicts such transits with French Railways accuracy (i.e. 1 sec).
Luck was with me : 2 Moon transits were to happen in the next days a few kilometers from my holyday place !
A useful "how-to" was found on this website : http://www.triggertrap.com/news/how-to-photograph-the-international-space-station.

The first Transit was a miss : cloudy weather all day, getting better and better ... and finally the last cloud disapeared from the face of the Moon exactly 2 min after the Transit.
Last chance was 3 days later. This time it was a clear night.
The count-down is impressive : the Moon transit lasting 0.6 second, "spray & pray" is the only option and there will be no "bis".

T0 minus 24 hours : settings with quite same conditions, finding the best balance between burst rate and IQ. Memory Card check & batteries loaded (I have a grip).
I did not touch my gear afterwards to avoid any mess-up
T0 minus 1 hour : gear check and loading in the car & car check. Watch sync with web time.
T0 minus 30 min : departure
T0 minus 15 min : tripod set up & setting check / manual focus on the Moon with Live View
T0 minus 10 min : 100 pic / 12 sec trigger check
T0 minus 30 s : last aiming at the Moon (the Moon is moving incredibly fast @ 600 mm)
T0 minus 2 s : fire ! (I had no remote for burst, so I had to keep my finger on the trigger for 10s, trying not to shake)
T0 : my wife, equiped with a pair of binoculars, yells "Gotcha !", as she saw a black dart crossing the Moon
T0 plus 5 s : I release the trigger, being loosely confident on the capability of my better half to make out a Space Station from a bat in the dark
T0 plus 10 s : heart restarts slowly

Now the strange part : I had seen nothing at all but maybe my Nikon caught something. If I had been alone, it would have been a completely blind shot.
Now I have to go through 100 exactly similar-looking Moon shot to find out which ones have a little speck on it.
My wife had me in the car (it was getting cold, even for loving wife, ready to come with me on such a weird middle-of-nowhere not-so-romantic midnight sortie) before I was able to spot anything.
But suddendly, here it is : 4 shots with "something" in front of the Moon !

ImageDSC_7950 by Colonel CHIBANI, sur Flickr

ImageDSC_7951 by Colonel CHIBANI, sur Flickr

ImageDSC_7952 V3 by Colonel CHIBANI, sur Flickr

ImageDSC_7953 by Colonel CHIBANI, sur Flickr

I think I had never been so photo-happy since my first not-too-blurry quite-framed averaged-exposed Spitire shot 20 years ago.
Many thanks to my wife, the guys behind CalSky, Aaron Harris and my Sun / ISS / Shuttle friend who gave me some last-minute advices, for having made this event possible !
Hello also to Thomas Pesquet up there !

If you have never tried such an experience, to get away from lazy warbirds and boring jets, I highly recommand it !

[EDIT] Typo & grammar corrections
Last edited by Col. Chibani on Thu 13 Apr 2017, 8:01 pm, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
Seamus
Posts: 2776
Joined: Sun 31 Aug 2008, 3:51 pm
Location: Tiverton, Devon
Contact:

Re: ISS Moon Transit

Post by Seamus »

That is absolutely awesome :clap: :clap: :clap:
My shots on Flickr and Airliners

User avatar
ericbee123
Posts: 2377
Joined: Sun 31 Aug 2008, 9:13 am
Location: Blackpool

Re: ISS Moon Transit

Post by ericbee123 »

Quite simply. BRILLIANT. I would be dancing around with a "blind" result like that.
Disclaimer-I have spell/grammar checked this post, it may still contain mistakes that might cause offence.

DeltaPapa
Posts: 326
Joined: Tue 02 Sep 2008, 8:57 am

Re: ISS Moon Transit

Post by DeltaPapa »

That's incredible - I would be chuffed to bits if I could make a capture like that. :clap: :clap: :clap:

User avatar
aceyone
Posts: 2864
Joined: Tue 23 Jun 2009, 12:25 pm
Location: Bromley Kent

Re: ISS Moon Transit

Post by aceyone »

Superb capture ! :clap:
Don't know about those jets ,they spoil a very nice place

Airwolfhound
Posts: 2707
Joined: Fri 06 Jun 2014, 12:53 pm
Contact:

Re: ISS Moon Transit

Post by Airwolfhound »

Outstanding, and love the narrative :-) :clap: :clap:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/24874528@N04/

Agile, mobile and hostile ;-)

User avatar
helired3
Posts: 941
Joined: Sat 17 May 2014, 3:30 pm

Re: ISS Moon Transit

Post by helired3 »

Wow that's excellent :clap: :clap: :clap:
Ian Harris https://www.flickr.com/photos/ian_harrisuk/

Nikon D750
Nikon D500
Nikon 500mm pf
Nikon 300mm pf

User avatar
capercaillie
Posts: 9336
Joined: Mon 01 Sep 2008, 3:04 pm
Location: Leominster

Re: ISS Moon Transit

Post by capercaillie »

Great stuff Colonel. :clap: :worship:

It sure beats a Tornado. :whistle:
"The surrogate voice of st24"

My flickr photos https://www.flickr.com/photos/146673712@N06/

TKK 140
Posts: 1385
Joined: Mon 26 Aug 2013, 5:49 am

Re: ISS Moon Transit

Post by TKK 140 »

Excellent, very well done, the satellite makes it a great photograph.

User avatar
RRconway
Posts: 2437
Joined: Sat 04 Jul 2009, 4:09 pm

Re: ISS Moon Transit

Post by RRconway »

A resounding well done sir :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:
As an aspiring Astro photographer who still struggles to set up his driven mount I am in awe.
I was taking moon photos the other evening through my smaller more mobile scope so may well try this myself.

Absolutely excellent, Well done.

POTW?

Jeff.
I know you think you understood what I said, but I'm not sure you realise that what I said is not what I meant.

User avatar
Rick
Posts: 863
Joined: Mon 01 Sep 2008, 10:18 pm

Re: ISS Moon Transit

Post by Rick »

As others have said, outstanding results :clap: :clap:
Very well done.
Slackers of the World unite !
Tomorrow.

Spiny Norman
Posts: 3520
Joined: Sun 31 Aug 2008, 10:17 am

Re: ISS Moon Transit

Post by Spiny Norman »

Superb capture. Well worth the effort.

Luke28
Posts: 1647
Joined: Fri 15 Jun 2012, 12:35 pm
Location: West Mids

Re: ISS Moon Transit

Post by Luke28 »

I can only echo what has been said, absolutely brilliant!

User avatar
Cole
Posts: 897
Joined: Sat 09 Apr 2016, 2:43 pm
Location: Dudley, West Midlands

Re: ISS Moon Transit

Post by Cole »

WOW :shock:
Canon 800D & Sigma 150-600 C
Dudley, West Midlands

Shows I'm Attending in 2020:

Well Um..

User avatar
Col. Chibani
Posts: 436
Joined: Sun 27 Mar 2016, 8:15 pm

Re: ISS Moon Transit

Post by Col. Chibani »

Hello and thank you for your comments.

I tried to make a composite image from the 4 photos, but it seems that my camera, or my finger, had a hiccup during the transit, and something seems to be missing :oops: :

ImageFusion by Colonel CHIBANI, sur Flickr

I have the choice now to remove the 3rd image or to fake the "missing link" (the latter I refuse, based on some personal, old-fashionned ethics :wat: ).

User avatar
Col. Chibani
Posts: 436
Joined: Sun 27 Mar 2016, 8:15 pm

Re: ISS Moon Transit

Post by Col. Chibani »

Some news : my photo ranked 2nd place in my company contest (by popular voting), and I was awarded a telescope !*

Image

With it, it is possible to see the rings of Saturn with the (almost) naked eye, which is a moving experience.
You can't help imagining the first guy in history who had enjoyed such a sight :shock: .
Last summer, it was the family attraction during the night.

After having recently purchased the required adaptator, I was able to test it with my Nikon D7100.
Unfortunatly, poor weather and a thight schedule prevented me from taking something else than the Moon.

ImageDSC_0824 by Colonel CHIBANI, sur Flickr

But il looks promising :smile: .

* First prize was a DSLR, which I obviously already possess, so I was purposely aiming for 2nd place :biggrin: .

FarnboroJohn
Posts: 3038
Joined: Tue 28 Aug 2012, 6:57 pm

Re: ISS Moon Transit

Post by FarnboroJohn »

RRconway wrote:A resounding well done sir :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:
As an aspiring Astro photographer who still struggles to set up his driven mount I am in awe.
I was taking moon photos the other evening through my smaller more mobile scope so may well try this myself.

Absolutely excellent, Well done.

POTW?

Jeff.


POTY.....

John

User avatar
ikarus
Posts: 516
Joined: Fri 23 Jul 2010, 7:52 am
Location: UK

Re: ISS Moon Transit

Post by ikarus »

Crikey superb captures :clap:

User avatar
speedbird2639
Posts: 1349
Joined: Wed 13 Jul 2011, 11:35 am

Re: ISS Moon Transit

Post by speedbird2639 »

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-41956191

Jupiter's four Galilean moons will also be visible to those with a telescope


Now who do we know with a shiny new telescope and a decent camera? Go on Col. You know you want to get up a bit earlier tomorrow.

Nailed on PotW if you get a nice capture!

User avatar
Col. Chibani
Posts: 436
Joined: Sun 27 Mar 2016, 8:15 pm

Re: ISS Moon Transit

Post by Col. Chibani »

Unfortunately, my telescope is currently stored in my country house, in the center of France, from where I can enjoy the clearest skies you can imagine.
But be assured that I will continue to share with you my future astrophotographic achievements.

King Cobra
Posts: 1340
Joined: Wed 17 Nov 2010, 1:20 pm

Re: ISS Moon Transit

Post by King Cobra »

Top notch. Go to the top of the class.

User avatar
Col. Chibani
Posts: 436
Joined: Sun 27 Mar 2016, 8:15 pm

Re: ISS Moon Transit

Post by Col. Chibani »

Thanks to some quite early warm spring days (& nights) in France, I was able to make new trials with my telescope.
This time, I took my time, shot in RAW, used a wired remote (a Christmas present) and tried to fine-tune the focus with LiveView.
With some simple post-processing, here is the result I am quite pleased of :

ImageDSC_1596_00001 by Colonel CHIBANI, sur Flickr

Next target is Saturn, during Summer vacations !

Post Reply