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Home Movies Of International Space Station

Posted by timothy on from the no-bird-no-plane-no-siree dept.

Thomas the Rhymer writes "A UK amateur astromer has taken home movies of the space station during 3 min possover using nothing more than an 8in reflector and a webcam. The BBC article has a link to the short digitial movie. Resolution somewhat short of a Spielberg movie but not bad. FWIW there is a Brit on board at the moment."

17 comments

  1. way cool by littlerubberfeet · · Score: 2

    Can someone give stats on how big the final ISS will be? Also, what type of webcam was he using? a 3 chip firewire thing, or a serial port POS? perhaps we can use this as an educational tool, and look at planets as well as the ISS.

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    1. Re:way cool by isorox · · Score: 4, Informative

      It was a cheap £30 ($45) webcam - his site says a "ToUcam" webcam from phillips (Possibly This one

  2. A Brit? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    FWIW there is a Brit on board at the moment.

    The resolution must not be that bad if you can pick out someone's teeth that clearly...

    1. Re:A Brit? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No - they just know because they can't hear him shouting over everyone else.

    2. Re:A Brit? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      How can you know someone is there by not hearing them?

      Better yet, how can you hear anything from a picture?

  3. Neato by Cyno01 · · Score: 2

    this is pretty cool, i havn't really been able to see the ISS myslf except as a bright speck, i'm suprised at the resolution of the webcam, my opinion of webcams for the most part was of pretty horrible quality

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    1. Re:Neato by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What does the webcam have to do with this? Is it because it connects to a computer, it's kewl? It's the telescope that did all the work, but hey, it's analog, so who cares, right?

    2. Re:Neato by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

      What does the webcam have to do with this? Is it because it connects to a computer, it's kewl? It's the telescope that did all the work, but hey, it's analog, so who cares, right?

      Not quite. Imagine that, instead of an 8-inch telescope like this guy did, you've got a 3-meter telescope. That telescope is doing a heck of alot more work for you, right? And then you hook up a web cam that has a resolution of 200x200 pixels. That great image is lost.

      This is just another instance of a chain being only as strong as its weakest link. Your image will be no better than the lesser of the abilities of your telescope and your web cam.

  4. The actual site of the guy who took the pics by therealmoose · · Score: 4, Informative

    http://www.satcom.freeserve.co.uk/docking.htm/a.

  5. Microgravity Porn? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    I had something totally different in mind when I read "Home Movies of ISS".

    1. Re:Microgravity Porn? by isorox · · Score: 2

      Has anyone ever had sex in space? Specifcally zero-g?

    2. Re:Microgravity Porn? by embeesh · · Score: 1

      I'm sure it's happened at least once. If there's one thing humans are good at, it's breeding.

    3. Re:Microgravity Porn? by smurd · · Score: 2, Informative

      Looks like an urban myth. The Straight dope delt with this a while ago.

    4. Re:Microgravity Porn? by isorox · · Score: 2

      Reading this article, I know you didn't ask about videos, but I expect to see them show up on Chuck's Weird World any day. hit me. Every industry, bar none, was started by sex. From VCR's to the internet, from bars to printing, from religion to *sound of religious fanatics hitting me over the head*...

      Anyway, the first low cost private space travel will come after you can get "Saucy Satelites". Sex will drive the space industry as it has every other industry in history. It's what we are about afterall.

  6. Re:way cool (i'm minus karma-read) by Gamasta · · Score: 1, Informative

    Once finished, the space station is to become brigther than Venus. And its size, pretty big ;-)

    Check out this for cool information on the station.

    --
    reason defies logic
  7. How to DIY by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Satellite Tracker Software
    Yahoo Discussion Group - dig around for other users video & pics

  8. Are webcam's worth it? by heroine · · Score: 3, Interesting

    As cool as webcams are, it seems like super 8 was a cut above the best home movies of today.