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Discovery's Last Go Round, As Seen From the Ground

Posted by timothy on from the talk-about-amateur dept.

SoyQueSoy writes to point out this "incredible footage of the passage of the International Space Station and Discovery, taken on February 28th 2011 at 17:58UT from the area of Weimar, Germany. A stereoscopic 3D version is also included for your viewing pleasure, as well as footage from February 26." Perhaps as interesting is the hardcore home telescope set-up used to get the images, a motorized, satellite-tracking Takahashi EM400.

10 of 53 comments (clear)

  1. Am I the only one? by Sam_In_The_Hills · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Am I the only one who hears The Blue Danube while watching that?

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    1. Re:Am I the only one? by DigiShaman · · Score: 2

      I was expecting a Klingon Bird of Prey to de-cloak at any moment.

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    2. Re:Am I the only one? by GodfatherofSoul · · Score: 2, Informative

      Please mod this comment up! Parent just made an epic Elite reference that many a' you youngun's with your high fallutin' ATI cards probably don't get.

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    3. Re:Am I the only one? by CnlPepper · · Score: 2

      I take it you have never seen 2001?

  2. wow by mojo-raisin · · Score: 4, Insightful

    That Thierry guy is quite a master with a telescope & camera. He's also taken incredible shots of the shuttle traversing in front of the sun.

    Just browse his website (assuming /. doesn't kill it).

  3. Made my day. by BigDXLT · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I love it. That was some fantastic imagery. That just won "best link of the day" for me. Thanks for that!

  4. Knock, knock by clyde_cadiddlehopper · · Score: 2
    "Who's there."

    "Never mind who we are. Your telescope is now classified Top Secret. Hand it over."

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  5. Re:Amazing by spun · · Score: 2

    Did you see the fellow he's got doing his tracking electronics? With a neckbeard that fierce, his kung-fu must be great indeed.

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  6. Re:Tumbling? by camperdave · · Score: 5, Interesting

    The thing you have to remember is that the way the station rotates is completely independent of its position in its orbit around the Earth. It is not tidal locked like the moon. The station most likely faces the sun constantly. It looks like it is tumbling because it is orbiting every 90 minutes. If it has one side facing the sun, then from our point of view it rotates on it's axis every 90 minutes.

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  7. Re:Tumbling? by camperdave · · Score: 2

    Not only can the panels rotate along their own axis, like louvre slats, but the entire panel cluster can rotate relative to the axis of the station. The reason they seem to be pointed in different directions is that they ARE pointing in different directions. The panels are locked in place when a shuttle docks and undocks, so they are probably set in an orientation that gives them the most average power while they are locked in position.

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