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01/28/2011 06:54:51 PM · #1 |
This might be an interesting challenge.
NASA has formed a partnership with Spaceweather.com to engage the amateur astronomy community to submit the best images of the orbiting NanoSail-D solar sail. NanoSail-D unfurled the first ever 100-square-foot solar sail in low-Earth orbit on Jan. 20. To encourage observations of NanoSail-D, Spaceweather.com is offering prizes for the best images of this historic, pioneering spacecraft. The contest is open to all types of images, including, but not limited to, telescopic captures of the sail to simple wide-field camera shots of solar sail flares. If NanoSail-D is in the field of view, the image is eligible for judging.
NanoSail-D website
They have links to satellite tracking software, web based and for mobile phones (iPhone and Android). |
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01/28/2011 08:55:19 PM · #2 |
LOL, yep, that's a *real* challenge! It's only 3 meters across, and it's 650km away!
ETA: for those familiar with astrophotography, that makes it's apparent size about 1 arcsecond. Better have some great seeing!
Message edited by author 2011-01-28 20:56:39. |
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01/29/2011 04:07:30 AM · #3 |
Originally posted by kirbic:
LOL, yep, that's a *real* challenge! It's only 3 meters across, and it's 650km away!
ETA: for those familiar with astrophotography, that makes it's apparent size about 1 arcsecond. Better have some great seeing! |
:) well apparently the flares can get brighter than Venus... it could be an interesting sight. What I don't know is, how long do these flares last. |
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01/29/2011 11:12:14 AM · #4 |
Originally posted by tome:
...What I don't know is, how long do these flares last. |
They are probably similar to flares off the flat surfaces of the Iridium satellites, and if so they will last a few seconds. Given that the sail is not perfectly flat, it may be that they will be somewhat longer. |
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02/05/2011 02:03:09 PM · #5 |
| Here is a link to a new article on NanoSail flares, with some info on Iridium flares from communications satellites. There are additional links (including one to the contest) at the end of the article. |
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02/05/2011 03:44:09 PM · #6 |
I've downloaded a few satellite tracking applications for the iPhone... no NanoSail flybys over my sky this week. There are a few Iridium flares that look good, though, so I might be out tomorrow evening to photograph one. Flare magnitude is -8 at the center.
Has anyone here tried shooting satellite flares? |
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