Today's APOD is NanoSail-D
http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap110128.html
Here's the competition to photograph it:
http://www.nanosail.org/
It can be found on Heavens Above:
http://heavens-above.com/
Tomorrow (Sat) afternoon at around 5pm is a definite possibility from Orpington.
Mark
Quote from: MarkS on Jan 28, 2011, 07:01:19Tomorrow (Sat) afternoon at around 5pm is a definite possibility from Orpington.
...but not easy. Good luck! :)
Satellite predictions with favourable viewing geometry (>20) for:
Ground Station : High Elms, Farnborough, Kent, England --- JO01AI
Time Zone : UTC (+0.00 h)
in eclipse * in daylight o
^ ^
Date Rising at Peak elevation Setting Height Satellite
Y M D Time Az. Time Az. El Time Az. (peak) Name
====== ========= === ========= === == ========= === ====== =========
110128 14:54:47o 169 15:01:01o 103 23 15:07:16o 38 NanoSail-D
110128 16:33:19o 220 16:40:12o 304 54 16:47:05o 27 NanoSail-D
110128 23:20:09* 338 23:26:16* 43 20 23:32:30* 110 NanoSail-D
110129 00:59:35* 330 01:06:21* 238 75 01:13:06* 159 NanoSail-D
110129 15:17:28o 189 15:24:13o 112 46 15:30:59o 33 NanoSail-D
110129 16:57:25o 238 17:03:55o 310 30 17:10:33o 24 NanoSail-D
110129 23:43:37* 336 23:50:07* 51 34 23:56:44* 127 NanoSail-D
110130 01:23:11* 326 01:29:41* 251 36 01:36:18* 177 NanoSail-D
110130 15:40:48o 207 15:47:41o 305 88 15:54:34o 29 NanoSail-D
110131 00:07:20* 333 00:13:50* 60 65 00:20:36* 145 NanoSail-D
110131 14:25:36o 174 14:31:58o 105 27 14:38:28o 36 NanoSail-D
110131 16:04:31o 225 16:11:17o 304 46 16:18:10o 26 NanoSail-D
110131 22:51:06* 337 22:57:28* 46 23 23:03:43* 114 NanoSail-D
110201 00:30:40* 329 00:37:18* 249 62 00:44:03* 163 NanoSail-DThere was a NASA press release a few days back:
NanoSail-D Ejects: NASA Seeks Amateur Radio Operators' Aid to Listen for Beacon Signal
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. -- Wednesday, Jan. 19 at 11:30 a.m. EST, engineers at Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., confirmed that the NanoSail-D nanosatellite ejected from Fast Affordable Scientific and Technology Satellite, FASTSAT. The ejection event occurred spontaneously and was identified this morning when engineers at the center analyzed onboard FASTSAT telemetry. The ejection of NanoSail-D also has been confirmed by ground-based satellite tracking assets.
Amateur ham operators are asked to listen for the signal to verify NanoSail-D is operating. This information should be sent to the NanoSail-D dashboard at: http://nanosaild.engr.scu.edu/dashboard.htm. The NanoSail-D beacon signal can be found at 437.270 MHz.
The NanoSail-D science team is hopeful the nanosatellite is healthy and can complete its solar sail mission. After ejection, a timer within NanoSail-D begins a three-day countdown as the satellite orbits the Earth. Once the timer reaches zero, four booms will quickly deploy and the NanoSail-D sail will start to unfold to a 100-square-foot polymer sail. Within five seconds the sail fully unfurls. From: http://www.nasa.gov/centers/marshall/news/news/releases/2011/11-009.html
See also: http://nanosaild.engr.scu.edu/dashboard.htm
I've just realised the sail is only 3 metres across. That equates to approx 2-3 CCD pixels (depending on height above earth) even using the C11.
It won't be a stunning picture :(
QuoteIt won't be a stunning picture
Where's you're faith :roll:
I notice that the photo competition will be judged on beauty and technical merit :o
Be interesting to see how anyone makes a shiny silver square look beautiful :(
It might just flare though. It's about the same size as an iridium.
Mark,
Was the picture on APOD one of yours....
Chris
Quote from: Rocket Pooch
Was the picture on APOD one of yours....
I wish it were!
Mark,
The technique with the broom handle, and the blue-tac, should earn you 1st and 2nd prizes alone on merit and originality. ;)
Good luck Mark, you can do it. :)
Tony G