ISS Detail through binoculars..... yes!

PeterW · (#1 (**permalink**))

Not sure of the etiquette making cross-Forum postings, but here is the text of a post I made the Cloudynights.com Binocular forum last night after a really good ISS pass. With the shuttle up there now, OK weather forecast for the next couple of days and good ISS passes too, lets see what we can see. I find now that other people have reported seeing some structure with normal handheld binoculars and other scopes, though tracking will be more fun for them!!

Cheers and let's hope for good clear skies for the next couple of evenings!!

PEterW
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"It appears to be ISS pass season in the UK at the moment, saw it a few days back. Now today's pass is almost directly overhead (and hence nice and close). I got wondering what would be visible in binoculars.... as a few other people have over the years (judging by internet postings), but no firm answer has been reached. A few calculations and a dry run first and then we'll see what we can do (if the scattered clouds keep away from the zenith!). The details were the pass would last from22-08->22:13 (peak 22:11), (maximum elevation 87degrees) from SW London, UK.

The Space station should get as close as 350km up (peak elevation)and it is about 73m across (depending on the dimension taken), this gives an apparent size of around 41 arcsec, with a predicted peak magnitude of -2.4. These parameters are strangely identical to those of Jupiter at the moment, which is visible low to the South after sunset, so a perfect object to trial on.

Seeing detail on Jupiter is fairly easy.... so it ought to be possible to do something with the space station with a fairly low magnification, of course Jupiter isn't moving and so is an easier target. Binocular tracking is never an easy game, but it can be made easier with a bit of image stabilisation, courtesy of Canon (12x36II).

First try Jupiter... nice clean disk with it's 4 little moons all lined out to one side. Lovely. Next track a jet plane as they usually move about the right speed, seems to work well. Next adjust the eyepiece compensation and focus using Vega, as really want to push things. So everything is in place, as long as the clouds keep off, though some thin cloud may dim the view a bit and improve the contrast.

Time arrives, the ISS starts jogging across the sky from over some nearby trees, I lie down on a mat on the ground as I need to look near the zenith and do not posess a rubber neck. The tracking with these binoculars was awesome, the ISS just hung in the middle of the field of view without any noticable effort on my part stars flying past, I was able to make fine focus adjustments to try to improve the view without effort.

It was definately not a point source, definitely squareish, very brilliantly bright though. Maybe a hint of a protrusion out of the 'front' side of it. Also as it got really close to the zenith (hard to judge when you are on your back slightly straining your neck forward) I swear I could make out two thin crisp dark lines about 20% in from either side inline with it's direction of motion..... delineating the solar panels at each end like wings? There was noticable glare in the view and a hint of false colour, making it harder to see fine details. The best view didn't last more than 30 seconds as the space station cruised past it's closest approach and then resumed it's 'square and not a point source look' as it continued to march off towards the other horizon and a block of cloud.

Well I think I have shown that it's possible to see some detail, go out and have a go!
There are more good passes for me in the late evenings for the next few days, so I will see if I can do better. Maybe I'll try a bit of attenuation on the objectives to reduce the contrast a bit (got a bit of polariser sheet, should do). Maybe the larger stabilised binoculars can do better......"

Kaptain Klevtsov · (#2 (**permalink**))

Sounds like great fun, must have a bash at that, especially with the shuttle up there as well.

Kaptain Klevtsov

FLO · (#3 (**permalink**))

Good post Peter

mikkey99 · (#4 (**permalink**))

Might notice a difference tomorrow night when shuttle is docked.
Have to compare it with tonight`s pass (clouds permitting)

James · (#5 (**permalink**))

According to Starry Nights the ISS has been accompanied by two other satellites in very close proximity. I had a look in binoculars last night and saw what I thought were details of the ISS but am now wondering if it was the other two satellites?

James