Angle on the Bow !! ISS chase

[Telescope40]

Hello all.  Just come in after a bit of a chase down of the ISS. 

Heavens above website noted a 2025 pass due this evening.  Cloud not looking too good but hey, thort I'd give it a shot. 

Kit - my Stellarvue 102 frac.   ES 11mm 82 degree EP.  64x magnification.    Skytee mount with axes nicely loosened off.  Did not use diagonal but had to employ an extension tube to focus. Hoped no diagonal would be of help. 

Focused up using Venus.   RDF switched on and here goes.  Check where to follow.  Below Venus tracking to above Orion. 

GOT IT.   Nice shape - solar arrays I presume. Best view I have ever had.  Must have had it in the eyepiece for a good 30 seconds. 

Had seen it fleetingly for a matter of seconds in previous scopes but really think the missing diagonal was the key. 

Moved on to Venus.  Bit of light cloud.  4mm Nirvana EP.  Very nice.

Sky poor for any more to the session but to say I was only at the scope for 45 minutes, am well chuffed. 

Thanks for reading if you git this far. 

John  

[Littleguy80]

Nice report. I did the same thing with my Equinox 80 tonight for that ISS pass. I'd seen that the Dragon X space capsule was orbiting just ahead of the ISS so there was a small chance of spotting that too. In the end it was very hazy so I only saw the ISS but it was fun tracking it. The best passes I've had  is tracking it with my 10" dob using a Lunt XWA 9mm eyepiece. That's 133x mag but only a 0.75 degree FOV. It's tricky but you get a great view when you manage to follow it. Really gets the heart racing as it's moving so fast.

[Telescope40]

Hello @Littleguy80 . Yes. Was great fun and for sure my heart rate was upped quite markedly as I tried to follow it.  

Gonna give it another go tonite.  Not sure in upping the magnification past 100x.  Think I'll go with my 8'8 mm ES 82 degree EP - will give me 80X and see how I go.  Hopefully I can get my eye in again 

John 

[Littleguy80]

1 minute ago, Telescope40 said:

Hello @Littleguy80 . Yes. Was great fun and for sure my heart rate was upped quite markedly as I tried to follow it.  

Gonna give it another go tonite.  Not sure in upping the magnification past 100x.  Think I'll go with my 8'8 mm ES 82 degree EP - will give me 80X and see how I go.  Hopefully I can get my eye in again 

John 

Sounds like a good plan, John. Looking forward to hearing how you get on  

[PeterW]

You can tell it’s a squarish extended object with bins, tracking with 12x36IS is quite fun, watching the other stars fly past. Thinking of using higher power, but it’s going to go right “over the top”, making 45degree-bins-on-a-tripod unpleasant when it’s closest and thus largest. Oh to have a simple Dob!

Peter

[Telescope40]

Hello. 
Get the ISS again. Much more definition getting the mag up to 80x - solar arrays very clear. 

@PeterW

Another shorter pass due in an hour. I’ve got a pair of Canon 10x30 IS binos. Going to give them a shot 

Regards John