How I photograph the International Space Station
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- Опубликовано: 20 май 2023
- This is my process of capturing the ISS with a telescope and planetary camera using manual tracking. It is by all means not the only way, and I will probably change and refine it over time as I learn more, but this is what currently works for me and I've been invited to share it!
The equipment used here is:
Celestron CPC800 - 8" Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope on a dual fork alt-az Go-To mount
ZWO ASI662mc
UV/IR cut filter
Capture software:
SharpCap Pro
For more of my astrophotography, including the photo caught in this video, please see my Instagram: @cellistontheroof
Very cool!
I am not into telescope nor photography, I just saw your recommendation on my feed and stayed for pure entertainment. Very well made video! I think you nailed one of the most underrated aspect of a video: the sound quality! Good job! 👍
Ah thanks! Are you sure we can’t lure you over to the dark sky side? Telescopes are fun!
@@CellistOnTheRoof The _Dark Side_ hehehehehe 👍👍 You realise that's a Dad pun don't you? 🤦♂
@@CellistOnTheRoof>>> Do you have cookies? 😉
"Not too bad" she says... it's awesome!! Thanks for sharing!
Fantastic, Ivana!
First time video? Excellent job. I've been wanting to capture the ISS for a long time. Its difficult but you make it seem easy. Big thumbs up 👍 from central Florida.
Thank you so much for sharing this!!! 🥰
Thanks Vlado 😊
It's great that you proved to the nay sayers who don't believe that the Earth is a sphere! If the International Space Station 🚉 is real then the footage of the Earth 🌎 is real🎉
Great Job Ivana!!!
Very cool
Hi Ivana! I'm 8 months into my astrophotography journey, still learning. I've done visual Astro for years. Tracking and photographing the night sky is hard, but catching the ISS is incredibly difficult, so I respect you for managing it, and managing it so well! Well Done!
Wes, Liverpool, England.
Thanks Wes! Good luck with astrophotography and clear skies!
@@CellistOnTheRoof Thanks Ivana! clear Skies!
I saw the ISS going over from the beach in north east England about 2 weeks ago when I was there looking for Noctilucent Clouds.Very bright and i roughly calculated that it, the ISS,was going down the east coast of England and would pass over almost exactly the Dutch/Belgian border a few minutes later such is it's speed.Sadly a poor, very!, Noctilucent Cloud show in 2023 but to redeem it in January I saw the other high cloud type, Nacreous Clouds,for the first time ever.
Great job, thank you
Brilliant first time presentation. I have the kit to try this, so will be doing it soon. Thanks .
Thank you.....thats great !!
Well done.
Cool.
Really interesting. First time or not, very well done.
Very cool! Congrats on the capture.
Thanks for sharing your technique with us. I'm still trying to master my camera but this is something I want to do. I saw the ISS that night too, V bright and V high. I then went indoors to catch the Axiom 2 launch and then went outside again to watch it pass by catching up with ISS. Florida to England in only 10 minutes!!
You are so fortunate being where you are located to see all that. We get diddly Down Under. 😞
I was at an observatory on a public night several years ago, and there happened to be two passes of the ISS that night. The first time, there was a bright dot following it, quite far behind. I thought it was just another satellite that happened to be in the same orbit (though it would be strange to put one in that orbit if it's not ISS-related somehow). The second time, the dot was much closer. Then they announced it was a Dragon (cargo) approaching the station!
Super cool scope. Thanks for the video.
That is an impressive feat of Astro photography. Well done you. That must have taken a lot of time and effort
I need to get a telescope but there are so many options I have no idea 😂😂. Great video hope you do more of them
I'm not an astrophotographer or astronomer at all, and people have already said so, but this is an _incredibly_ good video for a first-timer! Comfortable talking in front of the camera, good intro, clear explanations (showing the work put into scripting/rehearsing), good pacing, good audio quality with mostly consistent volume, no noticeable background noise, good framing and focus, steady camera (even when hand-holding it), good lighting (even in the dark!), and I'm sure more I've forgotten to list. This is the kind of quality I expect from channels with hundreds of thousands to low millions of subscribers, and dozens of videos under their belt. The only things that stood out to me as setting it apart from some of the bigger channels I watch are edited-in visual stuff (title cards, B-roll, etc.) and using a tripod or something for every shot, which I don't think this video would've benefited much from anyway. You even made a good thumbnail (and I'm glad RUclips is now, I guess, letting beginners use custom thumbnails).
Thanks so much for your comment! Very kind. It’s just a hobby for me so I’m only driven by sharing or best way to show things, rather than what makes a successful RUclips video, if that makes sense. But it’s nice to hear such great feedback!!
This is so cool!
Самый подробный и понятный рассказ про съёмку МКС, круто!
Nice job !!!!!
Nicely done! Very challenging task at such a long focal length.
So impressive!!!!
Great Video. The moment I started watching I was saying to myself, That looks like it might be Brighton LOL. Good work keep it up
Haha, Brighton is undeniable isn’t it. I did my best to dodge the seagulls. Thanks!
Awesome video, thanks for sharing. Subscribed.
You're a natural educator and made an exceptional presentation.
Great video!!!! Welcome to the family. Hope we can see many more videos.
How lovely, thank you!
Lovely video again, very well done and wow amazing, you are only in Brighton wow, I am in Goring just along the coast :)
Excellent video! New project with my C8 :)
First time viewer of your channel. I love this video. You explained everything so that a newbie like myself can understand it all. This seems very daunting to me, but if and when I am ready to attempt it, I will be watching your video again.
Thanks so much, really glad it was useful!
I like to see more Science girls in the hobby and she is a good example!
Awesome 🖖🏼
Great stuff thank you.
Thats nice ! Where i live the ISS passes right overhead ! Its pretty bright and looks like its moving in slow motion but really its travelling like 1,000's miles a second !
Well, thousands of miles an hour, anyway.
It's actually about 4.86 miles/sec but yeah, it's bloody fast. Oz to NZ in 5 minutes. 3½ *hours* (210 minutes) on a plane plus the drive to the airport, plus check-in, plus security, plus boarding. Taxi time from terminal to runway takes twice as long as the ISS flight.
17000mph
Great video!
Imagine if you could of done this when the shuttle and the ISS were flying in close proximity! When my kids were young I got them outside to see them pass together. Was only able to get a general video with a handheld camcorder. No up close details, but it was cool just to get two lights passing through the night.
Wow great vid, always loved your ISS shots on Insta! I've tried this before but not had any success, definitely going to give it another shot!
Thanks Harry! Fingers crossed for you, looking forward to seeing the photos 😊
Thanks for the tutorial
Great video, thanks. I've shared it with our local astronomy group! #StornowayAstronomicalSociety
Great video and very well explained. Also the tip with the ISS email alert was super helpful. Thanks & clear skies.
Well done for a first vido that was exceptional, very informative.
Great, EASY to follow directions. Great job! Thanks for being entertaining. 😊
Great job. ❤
I only captured transits so far. Can't use my mount for other. But hey I got a eapod (European) with my double iss solar transit. Also not bad.
EAPOD European Astro picture of the Day 😁
Earpods are good, but dont you get them for free with the phone?
You should give airpods a go as well
Guy in my club used Stellarium through his laptop to control his iOptron AZ Pro to make a video of the ISS when it flew over New Mexico. Said it was the only way he could make it work with his mount and I think the mount he has is compatible with ASCOM.
Really good video, lot's of great information, will try and give that a go 👍
Thank you!! Fingers crossed, looking forward to seeing the results 😊
Excellent video! Fantastic presentation and a really impressive result for your effort. Well done!
Thank you for presenting this helpful information in a succinct and easily understood fashion. New subscriber. :)
Excellent! Well thought out and planned. Keep posting
I'm your 300th Subscriber.
Great images especially as you are moving the scope by hand.
Very nice video and truly an awesome Image of ISS. Subscribed your channel.
Thanks 🙏 back at you!
very well done! thank you for posting this!
thanks for the video ! my brain just can't figure out the speed of the space station..... wow !!!!!
Great job , keep up the good work!
Wow that's some incredible shots! ❤
Thank you for doing this - seeing your workflow is very helpful.
Brilliant job well done, was this from the front of your house
Wow, a brilliant video!! Thanks!
Do you recommend the ASI662MC camera? As a beginner in astrophotography I have a Celestron CE8.
I read the technical specs and it sounds good but is it fairly easy to use?
Hi, sorry, I just saw this. Our gear is pretty similar so you can see on my Instagram what I did last planetary season with the 662 if you’d like! I really like the camera. They all work the same way - via laptop and capture software (I’m a fan of SharpCap), there’s a bit of a learning curve but I find it easy!
@CellistOnTheRoof thank you! Keep the videos coming!
Nice procedure, and telescope! Great work!
I tried the manual-chase method with a 35mm and high motor winder speed. I got dots of light, but not enough resolution to make out the shape of ISS. Keeping it “in the window” at telescope magnification is challenging to begin with! It’s really moving fast!
Very good job! You are a natural and should do more video’s. I want to get into Nebula Photo’s and this will be awesome also. If you make them I will watch any instructional content, thanks
I've been having increasing success capturing the ISS. Next time, I'm going to try your method of stepping and waiting instead of trying to stay locked in on it. Thanks!
Gracias por el video y permitirnos ver el proceso que seguiste para capturar las imágenes de la Estación Espacial Internacional. Saludos
Well done, Subbed. Now where's my telescope?
My next challenge, I am not as equipped as you are though, I am still on a phone mode type of Astro photography, 130 SLT Celestron, but I am doing good so far 😀 even impressed at some point. Yeah, I tried your technique with ISS, which means I am on the right path, but it was blurry… thanks for sharing your knowledge, may be that camera will make a difference.
Her teslescope be lookin like a whole cannon out of clash of clans 💀
Awesome to see a woman in astronomy and astrophotography! Also - this is a very polished video, first video or otherwise.
Take my subscription!
Question: how bright is the sky there? I live in the middle of a messy city and am wondering if I could actually do anything like this here
Thanks so much! I’m actually in city center, Bortle 6/7. For the ISS it absolutely doesn’t matter - you can capture it from anywhere! It’s bright enough that it’s not affected by light pollution, much like any planetary and lunar imaging, which is what I do mostly. Good luck!
I note those cameras come with a FPs number which is not achievable with a dslr. Yours I think does over 100 fps, wow!
I haven't considered ISS yet as I haven't seen it yet with my eyesight being as it is, I'm still trying to capture the Starlink boxes which sit like a Supernova in the early evening sky. Is ISS as bright?
I'm pointing 400mm @F3.5 with a 2x extender, 1970's dslr glass skywards, which is quite heavy at 5" wide. It really needs two anchor points to make it fully steady. If I set off with it in the middle of the viewfinder it's moving fast enough for me to only get two shots before I have to refocus, as it is moving away from me as well as sinking towards the horizon, by which time you have probably fired 50 times. I note your "Size changed" which shrinks the window of opportunity of grabbing many shots, that's a super tool for the job that you have there.
The Bahtinov mask can easily be printed on a 3d printer, and is a fantastic tool for focusing. You' have stood on yours twice, have you ever left it on?
Does shrinking the area you use on the sensor bring you closer like it does if I put a smaller sensor on the rear of my glass?
Hi, and thanks for your comment! Yes I really prefer the planetary camera for this, among other things they do get quite a high frame rate. Although, if you have a decent video frame rate, perhaps you could consider that - my old mirrorless got up to 60 fps, some newer ones have brilliant video specs!
I would definitely encourage you to try. When the ISS pass is one of the “good ones”, which for me is when it reaches over 70 degrees and magnitude is around -3, it is absolutely unmistakable in the sky. Much brighter than Starlink for sure - kind of like a moving Venus!
I’ve *almost* left the Bahtinov mask on a few times - thankfully now that it’s broken it rattles a bit so I can hear it’s still on there.
Using a so-called ROI (region of interest - smaller part of the sensor of the planetary camera) is something I do for planets but not here because I want as much “space” in which the ISS will appear. In the end it doesn’t really gain me any detail anyway.
Hope all this helps, and good luck!
Great pic and good to see you here on YT Ivana. I'd love to try this with my Edge 8 but I have an equatorial so I'm not very optimistic without some serious automation which is probably beyond me at this stage.
Thanks so much! I wouldn’t write the EQ off, all it takes is a bit of practice to get the hang of how it moves and a few shots through the crosshair when it’s directly overhead! 😊
Great video.... Well presented, and very helpful! I think I will have a go myself next time :) ..Might be tricky with an unlocked EQ mount though...? Thanks
Thanks Stephen! I wouldn’t write off the EQ mount - it may take a bit to get used to how it moves but I imagine it could do the job just the same. Maybe leave the RA clutch with just enough friction for it to hold the scope if you let go. If it's a Skywatcher, you can always look into tracking 😊
Great capture, looked like a slightly easier method than when I photographed the ISS several years ago. I used a Canon DSLR attached to a 6" f/10 refractor. I tracked manually while holding the shutter release to capture multiple images, and was successful in two or three shots. Nowhere near as good as your image though.
Thanks! I did try with my mirrorless, and I was using a 130mm Newtonian with a Barlow as well. I just found that I really want two hands free for maneuvering the scope! Clicking at the right time was really hard, and my videos suffered from interlacing as well. These planetary cameras are relatively cheap but do everything I want!
Careful, flat earthers lurk on youtube and attack without warning.
It’s a miracle they even know how to pay their internet bill.
Great information Ivana and I wouldn’t worry about your on camera presence. You looked and sounded like a natural. I’d love to try this but watching the ISS streak through your frame like that is pretty intimidating. Just wondering what focal length you were shooting at? Clear skies.
Thanks very much! It’s an 8” SCT so I’m at its native focal length, 2032mm. Good luck!
Brilliant video and great for your first! Such a simple technique (but still takes a lot of practice to manually track) and brilliant results. I have not knowingly seen the ISS when I have been out, but obviously loads of other ‘objects’ like Star Link. How fast does it move across the sky? A similar speed to another satellite?
Thanks! Indeed simple but not easy! I’ve only once seen Starlink and I’d say the ISS moves at a similar pace to the naked eye but it’s so, so much brighter. If you plan to see a pass that’s close to or directly overhead, it’s quite unmistakable!
Manuals…bravo
Fun process! Now I really want to try this out. But unfortunately, the ISS won't appear tonight for the clear skies. 😔
Hopefully soon. My question is with stacking. Do you just stack the images as you would normally do it for long exposure?
Would really like to see a tutorial on that.
Hi! Thanks, and fingers crossed for a good pass for you soon. I do actually stack my images although it ends up being something like fifteen frames - the ISS changes “size” as goes overhead so I take only frames around the same timeframe. Yes the process is then the same in Autostakkert. I’ll see if I can make a small video about that soon!
You did a great job with the video, and the capture!
Ive been making videos/live streams about astro stuff and have not yet spoken on it, let alone talk to the camera lol.
Unfortunately my telescope doesnt have clutches that can be unlocked, but i have everything inneed to track the iss more or less automatically, i just havent gotten it setup yet.
I did manage to capture an iss lunar transit with an old manual scope once. I had a chance with my newer scope but unfortunately my timing was off. I was just about to hit the record button when i saw it fly by on the camera screen before inpressed record. So disappointed but there will be other chsnces at some point.
Thanks! Yes I’ve had lots of flukes and even today I gamble on settings and lose sometimes, but keep going! Do you use the ISS transit finder website? There’s always chances!
@@CellistOnTheRoof yes transit-finder (I can't put the rest because youtube will delete the comment lol). It use to be just for iss but they've added Hubble and rhe Chinese space station within the last year or two I think it was.
The fun part is learning from the mistakes and making happy accidents lol. And the great thing is we can share all this with others, and eachother!
Great video, very informative . What FL are yiu shooting with ?
Thanks! The scope is an 8”SCT so 2032mm focal length.
Superb video! And, in fact, I learned quite a bit. I had some questions: 1. What was the relevance of Regulus for the alignment? Was the ISS passing through that general area? Or was it just for verifying the tracking scope is aligned? 2. What was that thing about focusing, I've never heard of that. You placed something on the front. 3. Are you tracking with only the horizontal part of the mount unlocked, or did you unlock everything and you are free to track however you wish? (This is sort of a continuing question to #1.)
Thank you!! Saw your post on Reddit :)
Thanks! 1. Regulus is just the first bright star I could see so I chose that, pretty much any one in the general direction of the pass will do. 2. Bahtinov mask - a simple focusing tool that makes the star produce three spikes which you then line up. They’re just placed in the front of the scope when focusing - just be sure to remove it later and not forget like me 😄 3. Yes I release both clutches so the scope moves up-down-left-right! Hope this helps. Good luck!
@@CellistOnTheRoof Thank you so much for your wonderful reply. It absolutely helps. I'll look into getting a mask too, thank you!!!
Hi 😊 Have you ever seen an e.t.? 3:41 Grammas spying on ya 😂
Thank you for the video. How did you connect the telescope with your laptop?
Hi, the telescope isn’t connected to the laptop at all, it’s the camera. It connects via USB3 cable and then I use SharpCap for capture.
Great capture 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 how many frames did you manage to get in that pass ? Would be good if you filmed yourself moving your scope while it passes 👍🏻 awesome 🛰️🙌🏻
Thanks!! I made a short follow up video on processing where you can see I got a whole bunch of frames, but the size and orientation changes as it moves overhead! I really wanted to film myself as I capture but it was too dark for the camera and if I shine a light on myself, it really interferes with my vision. Hoping to do another one when it’s brighter outside to show that as well. It’s just me staring at the finderscope and pushing the scope little by little though 😄
@@CellistOnTheRoof will take a look at your follow up video 👍🏻 I’ve tried to capture it countless times but everytime I do it it’s just to bright I need a filter for sure…….with a redcat 51 and an eq5 pro mount zwo asiair and a zwo asi533mc pro camera…..you set up is a Celestron cpc 8” ?
Yes it’s an 8” SCT!
Another object to look out for ....and its more regular .... is SpaceX stage 2 when the inclination takes it over the UK .
What's the speed on the Celestion lens? Should you be using a light bucket or not?
I’m new to this & it looks blooming brilliant fun. What’s the starting point of size & cost to see minimum detail? Hopefully it doesn’t cost a bomb .
Hi! It does take quite a lot of focal length but something like a Skywatcher Skymax127 and a small planetary camera could resolve panels etc! I bought my stuff second hand which makes it even cheaper. I’d say about £250 for a used Skymax127 with a mount, and maybe £150-200 for a used planetary camera?
@@CellistOnTheRoof brilliant. AMF absolutely, that's what I'd plan for sure. 2nd hand. Those prices don't sound too scary.
Do you have a TikTok page? If not you should make one and share your work.. 👌
I haven't used my scope yet for the ISS but I do image it using my DSLR and lens - I then put the frames into a video using PIPP - ruclips.net/video/4Trm-GYOhoo/видео.html
What power tank do you use
Celestron Lithium powertank 👍
How much would this set up cost
Hi, I buy my equipment mostly second hand, for telescope and camera (not including old laptop) it would be around £1500.
maybe my mother will finally believe that the earth isnt flat 😅
We are standing on a fixed topographical plane 😊
Your mother is right. The ISS, is actually just an airplane with solar panels and LED lights fixed on the bottom…lol earth is flat.
@@DavidShaneTrueCosmology Don't do this.
@@DavidShaneTrueCosmologyany proof of that?
Nope! Flatearth people do not believe in physics or math 😅
I hear the planet wave can just move with it hahah. got 240k? lmfao
Sorry, what's a "planet wave"?
Looks like a robot with a little red head 😅
Sky station
Evidence please.
You captured this at 22:33?
Interesting how its visible like that when it should theoretically be passing through the earths shadow during night time.
That all depends on the time of year and latitude.
@@kenfiscus99 not when it's that late:)
@@wynand988it also depends on how high it is over the horizon...and yeah, also the latitude...and longitude.
@@francescogiovannimura7621 I'm aware. Do you see how in this example it would indeed have been passing through the earth's supposed shadow?
@@wynand988 nope, I do not see that.
Also, passing through the shadow does not mean being in the shadow all the time
So in other words your picture is a computer generated image,
Every picture taken with a phone, DSLR, and video camera is computer generated. What’s your point?