My first view on the StarLink Train

[toast]

I was just on my balcony to say hello to the ISS1 when the StarLink Train passed by as well. Its trajectory was parallel to the ISS, only one satellite was off track, and with the same (more or less) speed. First I thought it was an additional satellite but then I started counting 1/2/3/4/5 and I stopped counting at ca. 20. (Klingons? ) The gaps between the objects was like the current visible gab between the Moon and Venus. I have never seen it before but it was amazing somehow.

Here a link to a tracker, the train will pass Melbourne today soon.

[Piney]

2 hours ago, toast said:

Here a link to a tracker, the train will pass Melbourne today soon.

I won't work for me because my puter is on Daylight Stupid Time.  

[Imaginarynumber1]

I saw this a few weeks ago. Had to look it up to see what it was

[Waspie_Dwarf]

On 3/29/2020 at 9:16 PM, toast said:

I was just on my balcony to say hello to the ISS1 when the StarLink Train passed by as well. Its trajectory was parallel to the ISS, only one satellite was off track, and with the same (more or less) speed. First I thought it was an additional satellite but then I started counting 1/2/3/4/5 and I stopped counting at ca. 20. (Klingons? ) The gaps between the objects was like the current visible gab between the Moon and Venus. I have never seen it before but it was amazing somehow.

Here a link to a tracker, the train will pass Melbourne today soon.

Just had my first view. It was by pure luck, I went out to throw away some rubbish and looked up. I have no idea how many satellites went over head, it had already started before I went out side. I managed to grab my camera and tripod and take some quick photos. I really wish I had know how long I had, I might have made a better effort. The satellites must have been passing over for at least 20 minutes, with 10 - 12 visible at any one time.

Here is the first picture. It is a 30 second exposure, 28mm focal length, f/5.6, ISO3200. It is heavily processed as, in the light polluted suburb I live in, the sky was pretty overexposed.

 

The second image is a 10 second exposure with ISO-1600. All other details as above.

[Waspie_Dwarf]

I wasn't quite so lucky tonight. There were 43 Starlink satellites passing over head in a 25 minute period tonight. The sky was not as clear as last night in the light pollution made the satellites difficult to see. I did manage to see a few and managed to get a few more photos. This is the best of them, showing one of the satellites passing near Ursa Major:

For those that are interested the image was taken with a Canon EOS 550D, 8 second exposure, 18mm focal length, f/5.6, ISO3200.

[Essan]

Saw several pass over last night (not first time I have seen some) but never more than a couple visible at any one time

[toast]

And a lucky catch as well. It dont know yet if its an Iridium flare (too lazy to check) or a falling star crossing the track:

Both images f/4.5 / ISO1600 / 35mm / 5 sec. / CANON EOS 500D + using EOS Utility software

[Waspie_Dwarf]

At 19:30 UT tonight SpaecX launched their 7th batch of 60 Starlink satellites from Kennedy Space Center, Florida. Just over 20 minutes after launch (and a few minutes after satellite deployment) the Falcon 9 second stage flew over London.

I was waiting:

 

[toast]

6 minutes ago, Waspie_Dwarf said:

At 19:30 UT tonight SpaecX launched their 7th batch of 60 Starlink satellites from Kennedy Space Center, Florida. Just over 20 minutes after launch (and a few minutes after satellite deployment) the Falcon 9 second stage flew over London.

I was waiting:

Wow, what a catch!

[Waspie_Dwarf]

37 minutes ago, toast said:

Wow, what a catch!

I tried to see the second stage during a previous Starlink launch but couldn't see it that time. This time I was surprised by how bright it was, nearly matching the ISS at it's best. I was hoping to get a view of the recently released satellites too, but you can't have everything.

I nearly missed it this time too. I had seen a few predictions about this flyover, but they were all rather vague. Predictions varied from it being visible 10 = 20 minutes after launch (it was actually about 22 minutes). The trajectory predictions were also pretty vague saying that it would appear in the west and move eastwards (given that the USA is west of Europe I had worked that out for myself. I took a guess as to where it would appear... and was wrong. It was nearly overhead when I saw it and I had to quickly reposition the camera.

This may not be the best shot in the history of photography, but it gave me a sense of achievement in getting it.

[toast]

5 minutes ago, Waspie_Dwarf said:

This may not be the best shot in the history of photography, but it gave me a sense of achievement in getting it.

As we here in Europe have a very low chance to get such shots, you are some kind of hero now, WD, Sir.

[Waspie_Dwarf]

A site I follow on Facebook gave notice that a Starlink satellite passing over London at 22:38 BST tonight might be fairly bright. When I checked it turned out that NASA's Terra earth observation satellite was passing over at the same time. With two satellites to choose from I thought I had a chance of getting a picture of one of them. It turns out that I hit the jackpot and got both in one shot.

 

I have also produced an annotated version.

[+joc]

On 3/29/2020 at 5:20 PM, Piney said:

I won't work for me because my puter is on Daylight Stupid Time.  

Well, it's not coming anywhere near us anyways...

Oh...but I did see the Navy Blue Angels blow their smoke over McKinney, TX. 

[Piney]

1 hour ago, joc said:

Oh...but I did see the Navy Blue Angels blow their smoke over McKinney, TX. 

I sat outside for several hours for their Philly overflight and they came the other way. 

I only got to hear them.

[+joc]

7 hours ago, Piney said:

I sat outside for several hours for their Philly overflight and they came the other way. 

I only got to hear them.

I almost missed the Blue Angels because I was looking the other way and 'listening' for them...some lady said, There they are...and pointed...or I would have missed them completely!  

 

[Waspie_Dwarf]

Earlier today the Japanese HTV-9 cargo vehicle was captured by the International Space Station's robot arm and berthed to the station. Last night I managed to photograph the HTV as closed in on the station.

 

In this first photograph the very bright streak is the ISS (the exposure time is 15 seconds, so the streak represents the movement of the ISS over that 15 second period). The fainter streak just above and to the left of the ISS is another satellite, possibly a Starlink satellite. Another streak can be seen just above the roof of the house. This is HTV-9.

 

In this second photograph the ISS is noticeably fading as it enters the Earth's shadow, The Starlink is still visible and the HTV-9 has now emerged fully from behind the house.