Any use of one of these images other than strictly private must be subject to prior authorization from legault@astrophoto.fr

May 29 : 3D video of Endeavour docked to the ISS

Passage of the International Space Station and Endeavour, taken on May 29th 2011 at 3:55UT from the area of Pau, France, after installation of the AMS (Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer). The video is accelerated 2.5 times (acquisition at 10 fps, video at 25 fps). The altitude of the ISS is 360 km (200 miles), for a size of a hundred metres. The speed of ISS is 17,000 miles per hour and its angular speed at zenith is 1.3° per second.

Downloadable DivX file (for private show only).

These videos need Flash Player 10. Click on the small square with an arrow inside (video menu) for fullscreen view.

The shooting equipment is described in detail in this page. For other videos of passages with, for the first time, an astronaut in spacewalk, see this page.

To look at the sequence below in 3D (click on the frame to start):
- squint (cross the eyes) to see 4 images of the ISS
- merge the two central images
- amongst the three images finally visible, concentrate only on the central one

This method may require a bit of training if you are not used to squint but it gives a very realistic view (and it does not need special 3D glasses!).

Downloadable DivX file (for private show only).

Below an anaglyph, to look with red/blue glasses:

Downloadable DivX file (for private show only).

May 31 & June 1: Videos of Endeavour before return to Earth

Videos taken from Spain (May 31) and France (June 1) 90 minutes before deorbit burn.

Downloadable DivX file (for private show only).

May 18th to 25th : Solar transits of Endeavour and the ISS

All images taken with Takahashi TOA-150 6" apochromatic refractor (focal length 2400mm and 3600mm) on EM-400 mount, Baader Herschel wedge. Nikon D3X at 1/8000s, 100 ISO, working in continuous shooting at 5 frames per second during 5 seconds..
Transit durations: 0.5 to 0.7s. ISS distance to observer: 400 km to 550 km. Speed in orbit: 7.4km/s (26500 km/h or 16500 mph). Transits forecasts calculated by www.calsky.com.

Solar transit taken on May 25th from France (Orleans), showing Endeavour docked to the ISS (transit duration: 0.5s):

Solar transit taken on May 18th from Germany (Essen) through thick clouds (dimming of light: more than 100 times!), showing Endeavour a few minutes before docking to the ISS (transit duration 0.7s):

Series of transits taken on May 20, 22 and 23 from different areas of France, showing variations of orientation of the ISS. On May 23, the ISS passes besides a sunspot which is larger than the Earth (for reminder, the ISS is at 400 km while the Sun is at 150 million km, that is to say a distance ratio of about 400,000).

The three images of the transit of May 23 combined (transit duration: 0.5s):

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