Next Image for you Mark S

[Fay]

I am sure you will manage this one, Mark!

[MarkS]

I would be over the moon with an image like that!

[Rick]

When and where was that one taken from? Must've been in a pretty narrow time window...

[Fay]

It was on a astro site, don't know the details. Do you think it could be fake?

[Rick]

Looks plausible, given sufficient aperture and careful timing...

[MarkS]

I found this APOD image:  http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap070628.html

I think I've just decided to give up ...

[Mike]

I wouldn't - did you see what kit they are using?

[MarkS]

They must have some decent kit to track the ISS with a 25inch scope!  And the seeing must have been pretty good that day as well.

[Mike]

I am guessing it is one of those huge mounted binocular things that NASA have that looks more like a rocket launcher. They can move very quickly and track even aircraft at high altitudes easily.

[Rick]

There's a page about their kit here: http://www.dexter-southfield.org/podium/default.aspx?t=11309

[MarkS]

They're not playing fair!  Here are the mount details:

25" DFM Engineering Equatorial Fork Mount
Manufactured for the Clay Center by DFM Engineering in 2002.
30 inch diameter friction drive in Right Ascension and 28 inch diameter friction drive in Declinatio.
Steel mirror cell with multiple 12-bolt patterns per KPNO standard
Tracking accuracy: +/- 0.5 arc seconds in 5 minutes, +/- 5.0 arc seconds in 1 hour
Pointing accuracy (with refraction and alignment correction) better than 30 arc seconds RMS
Variable set, guide and tracking rates: 0 to 4.0 degrees/second
Mount will support 65 kg instrument load with a center of gravity 36cm behind mounting surface
Computerized Mirror covers

[mickw]

There's no denying their image is stunning, but as you say, They're not playing fair.
But your image with the shuttle was basicaly "shot form the hip" in your back garden using bog standard kit.
Their image is better but not 100k better 
At least your stuff shows what can be achieved by a normal person with normal kit and without serious funding.

Still I suppose we can all dream   

Mick

[Rick]

Variable set, guide and tracking rates: 0 to 4.0 degrees/second

I assume it can be controlled to track the target, in which case it's the thing that makes it easy for them to get good satellite shots...

I assume that the military are just as good (and very probably better) at photographing satellites in orbit.

[MarkS]

Yes, the military are very good at satellite shots (yes, pun intended!)

[Rick]

Oh I dunno. They seem to have made a bit of a mess of that one they took a shot at recenly... Scattered bits all over the place!