How to Find the International Space Station in Your Area

Print out the star chart then start with something simple like locating the big dipper. Align the star chart to the big dipper. From there you can locate the other large start. Spend a few night locating the various constellations and it gets a whole lot easier to navigate.

Inspeqtor wrote in post #18979540
Is this the map you are referring to? If it is, this map is way over my head for understanding what it is trying to tell me. This is for tomorrow, Dec. 24th at 7:17AM. I did click on the map and saw different information come up that again I do not understand.

Hosted photo: posted by Inspeqtor in
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forum: Astronomy & Celestial

Yes that’s the correct map . You can follow the path line and close to the end is an arrow head showing direction of travel . It comes from the SW at 7:17am and travels to the NE disappearing approx 7:25 which is almost 8+ mins depending how clear your horizons are . Being NE that puts it N of sunrise and that why it’s visible that length of time . Should be easy to find cause if you find Gemini constellation it crosses right above the head and Gemini should be high and in the south for your location . Good luck , sorry this is late . I been cooking all day . But maybe you’ll see this in the morning before your event and the ISS appears . Clear Skies !!

Celestron wrote in post #18979803
Yes that’s the correct map . You can follow the path line and close to the end is an arrow head showing direction of travel . It comes from the SW at 7:17am and travels to the NE disappearing approx 7:25 which is almost 8+ mins depending how clear your horizons are . Being NE that puts it N of sunrise and that why it’s visible that length of time . Should be easy to find cause if you find Gemini constellation it crosses right above the head and Gemini should be high and in the south for your location . Good luck , sorry this is late . I been cooking all day . But maybe you’ll see this in the morning before your event and the ISS appears . Clear Skies !!

It is late, about my normal going to bed time. Thank you Celestron I've got maybe time for 6 hours sleep iffn I am lucky!

I just went outdoors to look at the sky... I do see a "few" stars with a lot of clouds now maybe it will be better in the morning.

Spot the Station and Heavens Above says it comes from the WSW for me.

Night Night!

The sky this morning thankfully was CRYSTAL clear!!!! It was scheduled for 7:17AM and I saw it on track heading my way probably about 7:18!

I took my compass out with me this morning. It was said to be heading from WSW. Using the compass gave me a better understanding of which direction to look, and it was dead on!

I got 78 pictures of the ISS using my Canon 90D with my 70-300mm lens and high speed shooting. I was hoping to get some much sharper images wanting to see much more detail, but dang how do you hand hold everything on a small moving object? Maybe this is the best I can get from this lens? When I zoom in to 100% it still looks like a round "blob"

There is a star under the ISS but I have no idea what the star is. I thought it added a tiny bit to the photo!

I tried taking photos yesterday at 2000 ISO but the pictures were not very good. Today I had my ISO set to 10,000

Please feel free to criticize my photo!! Anything I should try different? It is scheduled to arrive Christmas (tomorrow) morning at 6:31AM!

I am not sure I could get anything better with my Sigma 150-500 lens. I tried once before a few months ago but never saw the ISS at all, too heavy to hand hold really for me.

Yes it’s hard to hand hold and image but I’ve seen it done but not me ! You might have a better chance with a bigger lens and when it’s at highest point over your skies . If you have s good tripod you might try mounting it and take some test images to see if that helps . Good luck !

Celestron wrote in post #18980064
Yes it’s hard to hand hold and image but I’ve seen it done but not me ! You might have a better chance with a bigger lens and when it’s at highest point over your skies . !

The problem I would think would be focusing, small lens or big lens when nothing big such as the moon to take a picture to focus at infinity is available.

Celestron wrote in post #18980064
If you have s good tripod you might try mounting it and take some test images to see if that helps . Good luck !

I have a couple decent tripods but how do you focus at infinity with a small star sized (well slightly larger than a star) moving object? Maybe a gimbal head would do it, but I do not have a gimbal head, I have never used one so I do not have any idea how they work or what they were made to do.

Inspeqtor wrote in post #18980070
The problem I would think would be focusing, small lens or big lens when nothing big such as the moon to take a picture to focus at infinity is available...

Pick up a Bahtinov mask. You can get some pretty cheap ones on Amazon or pay a bit more for some better ones.

gjl711 wrote in post #18980123

Inspeqtor wrote in post #18980070
The problem I would think would be focusing, small lens or big lens when nothing big such as the moon to take a picture to focus at infinity is available...

Pick up a Bahtinov mask. You can get some pretty cheap ones on Amazon or pay a bit more for some better ones.

Thank you JJ... I am looking into it. I looked at a couple youtube vidoes on how to use them. The 2nd guy said they are difficult to use on camera lenses vs an actual telescope. What are your thoughts on that? Do you have any experience on camera vs. telescope?

I would like to find one in the size range of 3.5 - 5" (90mm - 120mm) - the best I have found so far is 3.5 to 6.5 which is larger than I was hoping to have to buy. That would be for my 70-300mm and my 150-500mm lenses.

Inspeqtor wrote in post #18980369
Thank you JJ... I am looking into it. I looked at a couple youtube vidoes on how to use them. The 2nd guy said they are difficult to use on camera lenses vs an actual telescope. What are your thoughts on that? Do you have any experience on camera vs. telescope?

It's been a long time since I was doing any astro stuff and I've never used the Bahtinov mask as it's pretty new but something very similar. It was a plate with holes in. The theory is the same, it sets up a diffraction pattern allowing for very fine focusing. I'm not sure why a camera lens would be any different than a telescope lens though. I've seen them made out of paper as well, more like this one.

Charles,

I'm no expert on taking pictures of the ISS, I have done it, but haven't really tried that hard, for some reason.

If you use the settings on your Flickr moon shot, the first moon shot, you will have a better chance of getting a pretty good shot, I think.

For one thing, your shutter-speed is too low on your ISS shots, since it is a moving target you really need a faster one.

It doesn't matter what camera you want to use, I am sure that the 90D would be fine, I have not used one, but I do have a 7DmkII, and they are really similar, so.

Use your fastest f/stop, which I believe that you did before.

I noticed on your moon shot that you had a 2X converter on there, I would remove that until you get a fairly good idea on how to get the best ISS shot, or, you can
chance it and see what happens with it on.
Taking a shot of the ISS is really not that different than shooting the moon, the ISS only moves, that's the more difference.

I don't think that you need that high of a ISO, what I would do is start way lower, somewhere around ISO 640 or so.
You were really over-exposing the ISS shots you did, you really need to have it a little more under-exposed to show the shape of it.
Even if you over expose it some, you can always use Curves and bring the highlights down so you can actually see the details in the ISS.

I do want to say that I rarely use a tripod, I hate them...
What I do is place a soft towel on top of my truck/car and use that as a brace, it works really well.

Another thing is, the best way to help make sure that you images are in better focus, use what was mentioned before, the Bahtinov Mask, I have one but have not used mine yet.
What I do is to focus on the moon (if it's out), then tape my focus ring so it won't move. I never use the auto-focus, it is unreliable.
If the moon is not out focus on something that you can see that is really far away, like a highway lamp pole, or a building that's lit up, or something bright.
If you want to focus in the daytime you can focus on something far away, then tape it up, but be careful not to move the ring at all.

While this information is not perfect by any means, it is a fairly good place to start, and of course, if anyone else has any other suggestions, please speak up.


My shot below is not anywhere as good as 'the good ones' that we see, but it's better than my first blobs of blurry bright light I used to take.

One last thing, to be able to see the ISS large enough, it usually needs to be 'stretched' (resized) to be able to show what you have.
On something like this I prefer to over-expose it slightly and adjust the Highlight/Shadows in Photoshop to help it show what it looks like.



Your settings...

Canon EOS 90D
150.0-500.0 mm
ƒ/6.3
1000.0 mm
1/1250
12800
_______________
My settings on the shot attached...

Model: Canon EOS 7D Mark II

Exposure Time: 1/1025 sec (At least)
F Number: f/8 (You can go lower than I did, like 5.6)
ISO Speed ratings: ISO 640 (Even ISO 500)
Exposure Program: Manual
Focal Length: 400 mm (I'm not really sure which 400mm lens that I used on this, I have two, it was probably the Canon 100-400mm vII)

I hope this helps some, Charles! (Merry Christmas too!)

Randy

gjl711 wrote in post #18980438
It's been a long time since I was doing any astro stuff and I've never used the Bahtinov mask as it's pretty new but something very similar. It was a plate with holes in. The theory is the same, it sets up a diffraction pattern allowing for very fine focusing. I'm not sure why a camera lens would be any different than a telescope lens though. I've seen them made out of paper as well, more like this one.

Thank you JJ

recrisp wrote in post #18980536
Charles,

I'm no expert on taking pictures of the ISS, I have done it, but haven't really tried that hard, for some reason.

If you use the settings on your Flickr moon shot, the first moon shot, you will have a better chance of getting a pretty good shot, I think.

For one thing, your shutter-speed is too low on your ISS shots, since it is a moving target you really need a faster one.

It doesn't matter what camera you want to use, I am sure that the 90D would be fine, I have not used one, but I do have a 7DmkII, and they are really similar, so.

Use your fastest f/stop, which I believe that you did before.

I noticed on your moon shot that you had a 2X converter on there, I would remove that until you get a fairly good idea on how to get the best ISS shot, or, you can
chance it and see what happens with it on.
Taking a shot of the ISS is really not that different than shooting the moon, the ISS only moves, that's the more difference.

I don't think that you need that high of a ISO, what I would do is start way lower, somewhere around ISO 640 or so.
You were really over-exposing the ISS shots you did, you really need to have it a little more under-exposed to show the shape of it.
Even if you over expose it some, you can always use Curves and bring the highlights down so you can actually see the details in the ISS.

I do want to say that I rarely use a tripod, I hate them...
What I do is place a soft towel on top of my truck/car and use that as a brace, it works really well.

Another thing is, the best way to help make sure that you images are in better focus, use what was mentioned before, the Bahtinov Mask, I have one but have not used mine yet.
What I do is to focus on the moon (if it's out), then tape my focus ring so it won't move. I never use the auto-focus, it is unreliable.
If the moon is not out focus on something that you can see that is really far away, like a highway lamp pole, or a building that's lit up, or something bright.
If you want to focus in the daytime you can focus on something far away, then tape it up, but be careful not to move the ring at all.

While this information is not perfect by any means, it is a fairly good place to start, and of course, if anyone else has any other suggestions, please speak up.


My shot below is not anywhere as good as 'the good ones' that we see, but it's better than my first blobs of blurry bright light I used to take.

Hosted photo: posted by recrisp in
./showthread.php?p=189​80536&i=i147045103
forum: Astronomy & Celestial

One last thing, to be able to see the ISS large enough, it usually needs to be 'stretched' (resized) to be able to show what you have.
On something like this I prefer to over-expose it slightly and adjust the Highlight/Shadows in Photoshop to help it show what it looks like.



Your settings...

Canon EOS 90D
150.0-500.0 mm
ƒ/6.3
1000.0 mm
1/1250
12800
_______________
My settings on the shot attached...

Model: Canon EOS 7D Mark II

Exposure Time: 1/1025 sec (At least)
F Number: f/8 (You can go lower than I did, like 5.6)
ISO Speed ratings: ISO 640 (Even ISO 500)
Exposure Program: Manual
Focal Length: 400 mm (I'm not really sure which 400mm lens that I used on this, I have two, it was probably the Canon 100-400mm vII)

I hope this helps some, Charles! (Merry Christmas too!)

Randy

Randy,

I really appreciate everything you went thru to be so thorough in everything you talked about.

My Flickr moon shot, I am guessing you are referring to the 3rd shot on the top row of my Flickr.
That was was shot at 1/1250s f6.3 ISO2000 yes with my 2X converter.

A couple of months ago I tried using my Sigma 150-500 lens at 500mm to find the ISS, but I never did find it at that magnification. Maybe if I had started out at 150 I would have found it then could have possibly zoomed in. I do not remember if the moon was out at that time to try focusing first on that. If the moon IS out I will first Auto Focus on that, then turn off AF to hopefully fine turn the focus. Where I live there are tall pine trees (I am guessing 30-50 feet high) behind my house with no other tall buildings anywhere close.

I am not sure when the ISS will be around at a time when I will be able to try to get a picture and with clear skies!! The one I posted Christmas Eve day I used my 70-300 at 300mm.

The next time I will reduce my ISO greatly per your suggestion. Whenever I do shoot the moon I always use my tripod, but for the ISS I feel I have to go handheld not knowing for sure where I will see it coming from. Using a Bahtinov Mask will be tricky, having to have it on, find the ISS and also finding focus, then removing the mask without changing the focus when I do remove the mask and then find the ISS again.

Inspeqtor wrote in post #18980783
I am not sure when the ISS will be around at a time when I will be able to try to get a picture and with clear skies!! The one I posted Christmas Eve day I used my 70-300 at 300mm.

Planning a shoot of the ISS is key as it's precisely predictable for the next several thousands of years. (Assuming that they don't change orbit. )
GOTO a site like heavens-above.com
Set your location using the map. Zoom in to you house or shooting location and click it
Under "10-day predictions for satellites of special interest" click ISS. It defaults to the next 10 days but if you use the arrows just to the right of the "Search period start" "Search period end", it gives you the next 10 day block.
Look for the highest magnitude passes you can see. For instance, for me on Jan 11th at 6:16 I have a pass directly overhead with a mag. of -3.9. Other than the moon, it will be the brightest thing in the sky. I get another bright one Jan 20, then Feb 6th.
So you know where, you know when, it's just a matter of being there and being ready. Planning is key.
Now ya gotta hope that the weather cooperates.

Inspeqtor wrote in post #18980783
The next time I will reduce my ISO greatly per your suggestion. Whenever I do shoot the moon I always use my tripod, but for the ISS I feel I have to go handheld not knowing for sure where I will see it coming from. Using a Bahtinov Mask will be tricky, having to have it on, find the ISS and also finding focus, then removing the mask without changing the focus when I do remove the mask and then find the ISS again.

Don't wait for the ISS to show up to locate and focus, do it the other way around. You know where the ISS will be and at what time, so pre-focus using a nearby bright star using whatever focus method you choose, then leave the focus alone, lock it in. Now that focusing is done, time to find where it will be.
Use the chart in Heavens-above as it's pretty accurate, for instance, my Jan 11th pass, the ISS is passing right between Arcturus and Eta in Bootes. Arcturus is pretty easy to find as its a mag. -.3 star and Eta is harder but still visible. Move the camera to the location where you want to shoot.
Now watch the time and wait and keep tracking your spot. If you set it up right, click the shutter when the ISS passes through the frame.

I know I make it sound easy, it's clearly not but with enough advanced planing and prep, it minimizes all of the variables like finding the ISS as it's already making it's pass, getting critical focus, tracking by hand and pressing the shutter.

Inspeqtor wrote in post #18980783
Randy,

I really appreciate everything you went thru to be so thorough in everything you talked about.

My Flickr moon shot, I am guessing you are referring to the 3rd shot on the top row of my Flickr.
That was was shot at 1/1250s f6.3 ISO2000 yes with my 2X converter.

A couple of months ago I tried using my Sigma 150-500 lens at 500mm to find the ISS, but I never did find it at that magnification. Maybe if I had started out at 150 I would have found it then could have possibly zoomed in. I do not remember if the moon was out at that time to try focusing first on that. If the moon IS out I will first Auto Focus on that, then turn off AF to hopefully fine turn the focus. Where I live there are tall pine trees (I am guessing 30-50 feet high) behind my house with no other tall buildings anywhere close.

I am not sure when the ISS will be around at a time when I will be able to try to get a picture and with clear skies!! The one I posted Christmas Eve day I used my 70-300 at 300mm.

The next time I will reduce my ISO greatly per your suggestion. Whenever I do shoot the moon I always use my tripod, but for the ISS I feel I have to go handheld not knowing for sure where I will see it coming from. Using a Bahtinov Mask will be tricky, having to have it on, find the ISS and also finding focus, then removing the mask without changing the focus when I do remove the mask and then find the ISS again.

I would practice focusing on stars/planets before the ISS is due, that way you will be more confident in getting that shot. I have never really had a problem finding it, but my main problem was getting focus.
Like "JJ" said, "Don't wait", do it when you have all of the time in the world.

None of us know when we are truly going to have clear skies, that is always a problem.

I also have really tall trees in my yard, and to get a really clear shot of it I need it to come from a certain direction, so I sure understand.
The thing is though, you can pre-focus anytime, anywhere, and be ready, so have it ready and when you do see it, all you have to do is to center it.

The Bahtinov Mask is REALLY easy to do, it just lays on top of your lens hood, when you are focused, all you have to do it 'gently' remove it so it doesn't knock your focus off.
They do not screw on, it's just a flat disk that has 3 rods that helps it stay centered on your size of lens. It's not a big deal at all, really.
Now, if you DIDN'T have a tripod, that would be a problem trying to keep the mask on.

Never once have I had the moon make it hard for me to shoot the ISS, I can't think of one time that the moon was out so that it made it a difficult job. It can happen, but probably not.

Hi JJ,

Sorry this took me so long to get back here. I have a log-in for Heavens-above and also Spot the Station, and also ISS Transit Finder with my home location picked out for each one.

For Heavens Above, as I mentioned before in this thread I do not understand how to use the map shown below for Jan. 5th for my home location. I do not know the star locations shown on the map, other than I believe the North Star (Polaris) is where I have the arrow, correct?

I am close enough to the city that a lot of stars are blocked out by the city lights.

I did not know I could click ahead on the dates.... yes I had seen the "arrows" but never clicked on them before now. That is cool!

Yesterday I did order a Bahtinov mask that should be here in a few days.

Thank you!