Pic: Shot of Atlantis from ground

[Kaito]

http://gizmodo.com/5255723/amateur-...age-of-atlantis-hubble-in-the-face-of-the-sun

Thats one lucky dude right there

 

[Andy44]

Epic photo!

 

[Zatnikitelman]

EPIC WIN!
That is seriously awesome! Maybe once the clouds clear up around here, I can grab some pics at night.

 

[Keatah]

So NASA is really REALLY fixed the tiles this time.. A solar mission!

 

[astrosammy]

A quick look in my book about Columbus and the ISS showed: A picture of the ISS in front of the sun, by the same guy, including Atlantis shortly after undocking. Looks like he is good at such things.

 

[TSPenguin]

I've been browsing a little on his site and I must say, that he is a really dedicated professional amateur!

The pictures he takes are very amazing. He really knows the theory behind this and has obviously a lot of experience.

The ISS picture is also on his site. I can really recommend visiting it.

edit: The picture is also todays APOD.

 

[MeDiCS]

Holy Cow!
Gotta try this sometime :O.

 

[EJ316]

Wow, I've been looking at the rest of his pictures and they are awesome! I've always wanted to get a telescope, it must be breathtaking to see these things with your own eyes.

 

[SiberianTiger]

Wow, I've been looking at the rest of his pictures and they are awesome! I've always wanted to get a telescope, it must be breathtaking to see these things with your own eyes.

You won't see nebulae like these with own eyes through any telescope. They take long exposures to be photographed.

 

[Anariaq]

You won't see nebulae like these with own eyes through any telescope. They take long exposures to be photographed.

What about if you look at it for really long time

 

[EJ316]

You won't see nebulae like these with own eyes through any telescope. They take long exposures to be photographed.

Yeah but you know what I mean. I was referring to all of the pictures, not just the nebulae, and I meant it would be nice to look through a telescope at this stuff instead of see it on a computer screen.

 

[MJR]

That is an absolutely amazing picture. Nice job!

 

[agentgonzo]

Yeah but you know what I mean. I was referring to all of the pictures, not just the nebulae, and I meant it would be nice to look through a telescope at this stuff instead of see it on a computer screen.

I know what you mean. Even though the pictures taken by hubble are far superior to anything that I'll see through the eyepiece, it's still far more enjoyable being outside looking at Saturn through a telescope knowing that the light has come on a path from the sun, bouncing of Saturn, being collected and focussed by your 'scope directly into your eyeball. It also gives you a better feel of where things are when you're under all the constellations rather than having a disembodied (but nonetheless stunning) photo of a nebula.

 

[Andy44]

You really don't want to see that shuttle/sun scene with your own eyes. If you do, you'll only get to see it once.

 

[TSPenguin]

You really don't want to see that shuttle/sun scene with your own eyes. If you do, you'll only get to see it once.

Yes I do! Depending on the filter you use, it is perfectly safe.

 

[SiberianTiger]

But you gotta have a really large viewing angle at your eyepiece and stay prepared, gathering all your attention. I'm afraid that the full time of a LEO object's passage across the Sun is about 1 second long (or less).

 

[agentgonzo]

But you gotta have a really large viewing angle at your eyepiece and stay prepared, gathering all your attention. I'm afraid that the full time of a LEO object's passage across the Sun is about 1 second long (or less).

I think it's between a quarter and a third of a second...

 

[SiberianTiger]

I think it's between a quarter and a third of a second...

Surely, in the worst case. How about the observation conditions when the satellite's track projection is obliqued and it moves generally nearing the observer? I think this might give a better observation time span, although at cost of a worse angular size.

 

[agentgonzo]

Surely, in the worst case. How about the observation conditions when the satellite's track projection is obliqued and it moves generally nearing the observer? I think this might give a better observation time span, although at cost of a worse angular size.

Good point. I worked it out a while ago, and I think that was for a pass directly overhead.

 

[tblaxland]

A quick look at calsky shows transit times up to 2.74s.