The Dutch Observatory

August 27, 2010 on 11:51 am | In ISS, Moon, Uncategorized | Comments Off

In order to be better prepared for ISS transit imaging, I prepared this overlay image composed of images made at different times with differend optical components, increasing your chances of actually capturing the transit rather than missing it.  The ISS will move accross the face of the object in a certain direction, indicated as the time of on a clock with 6 o’clock being pointing STRAIGHT DOWN at the horizon, and  3 and 9 o’clock in paralell to the horizon.  So imagine your object how it is tilted at the time of imaging in regard to the horizon. (Will move from tilted  left when it rises, straight up when it passes the Meridian and tilted right when it sets. Knowing how the Sun or the Moon are tilted and knowing the travel direction of the ISS, you can determine where the ISS will travel accross the Sun  or Moon.  The image shows the approx. size of capture with the components I used.  In all three images I used prime focus, and a DMK21AU04.AS with a 640×480 resolution, so in the composite, two of the images are reduced in size to show relationships.  Image (!) shows the size captured with a Stellarvue SV80S with focal lenght of 750mm.  Image (2) shows the same refractor but with an Antares focal reducer screwed in the nose piece of the camera, and in Image (3) I used the same Antares focal reducer/camera, but with a Celestron C11.  As you can see, unless you are on the center line of the transit, you will need to research where the ISS will transit.