You've read where I've wrote about watching fly overs of the International Space Station (ISS), but there are those that take the time to capture pictures of it too. Yes, this can be done through our meager backyard telescopes; but I've yet to capture one that's worthy enough of sharing. Others have though, and my blog post today is being made to share some of those images.

Now is the right time for imaging the ISS because it has descended to about its lowest orbital height of approximately 213 miles above the earths surface.

Using a 10" Newtonian telescope and an ATK 2C video camera (specially designed for use in telescopes), Ralph Vandebergh of the Netherlands captures some of the best amateur images of the ISS that I've ever seen. Here's one that he captured on Thursday, January 14th.

"Normally, the station's four big solar panels are the most obvious elements visible from Earth, but in this picture they are almost invisible due to the lighting angle," Vandebergh says. "What the picture does show is the integrated truss structure, the backbone of the ISS in full-length with lots of detail."

This image from Pete Lardizabal of St Johns, Florida does show the solar panels. Pete's image was captured with a 130mm refractor telescope and a Canon 30D DSLR camera.

I've been trying to image the ISS for a while now, with less than desirable results.  Even with tips given to me by Ralf Vandebergh; I still haven't been able to capture that one shot that knocks me out of my chair. Imaging the ISS isn't an easy task, but I'll get it someday. 

This is the best shot I've captured so far, but is nothing compared to Ralph's, or to Pete's. My image is slightly out of focus (its hard getting the focus just right), and there's too much light pollution in my image, which is making the background too light.

There will be other fly overs, and if I keep at it, then maybe I'll get an image that's as good as either of the first two.  :)