APOD: Endeavour's Starry Night (2011 Jun 02)

Comments and questions about the APOD on the main view screen.
jskocher

Re: APOD: Endeavour's Starry Night (2011 Jun 02)

Post by jskocher » Thu Jun 02, 2011 10:09 pm

Does it strike anyone else that the "city lights" seem a lot closer than 217 miles away?

(No, I'm not saying that the photo is faked, but I am a bit perplexed)

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Chris Peterson
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Re: APOD: Endeavour's Starry Night (2011 Jun 02)

Post by Chris Peterson » Thu Jun 02, 2011 10:53 pm

jskocher wrote:Does it strike anyone else that the "city lights" seem a lot closer than 217 miles away?

(No, I'm not saying that the photo is faked, but I am a bit perplexed)
Keep in mind that there's a tendency to misjudge dimension on images made from low Earth orbit. The horizon is only about 2000 km away; from the ISS you couldn't see coast-to-coast over the U.S., for instance. In addition, nearly the entire optical path length is largely airless, so you are only looking at objects on the ground through a few miles of atmosphere.
Chris

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alter-ego
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Re: APOD: Endeavour's Starry Night (2011 Jun 02)

Post by alter-ego » Fri Jun 03, 2011 3:59 am

FYI, the view is looking to the southwest, looking backward in the orbit. If the photograph time is correct and UT, I believe the shuttle is located somewhere between Vietnam and Hong Kong. What I'm sure of is the star field. To the lower left is the Southern Cross & Coal Sack near the horizon. The fuzzy spot left of the shuttle and 45°up from Crux is Omega Centauri.
A pessimist is nothing more than an experienced optimist

Aescens

Re: APOD: Endeavour's Starry Night (2011 Jun 02)

Post by Aescens » Fri Jun 03, 2011 3:19 pm

Does anyone know how long the exposure was for this picture?

Thanks.

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Case
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Re: APOD: Endeavour's Starry Night (2011 Jun 02)

Post by Case » Fri Jun 03, 2011 3:30 pm

Aescens wrote:Does anyone know how long the exposure was for this picture?
The EXIF data says 3 secs.
(Online Exif viewer)
I, for one, like Roman numerals.

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Chris Peterson
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Re: APOD: Endeavour's Starry Night (2011 Jun 02)

Post by Chris Peterson » Fri Jun 03, 2011 3:30 pm

Aescens wrote:Does anyone know how long the exposure was for this picture?
The image was made with a Nikon D3S, a 3-second exposure at ISO 25600, using a 20mm lens at f/2.8.
Chris

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NoelC
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Re: APOD: Endeavour's Starry Night (2011 Jun 02)

Post by NoelC » Fri Jun 03, 2011 11:59 pm

Hands down, THE best image I've ever seen taken from space, and that's saying a lot!

BRAVO!

-Noel

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Star*Hopper
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Re: APOD: Endeavour's Starry Night (2011 Jun 02)

Post by Star*Hopper » Sat Jun 04, 2011 3:37 pm

"Lesson number one, Giordano Bruno. When the Sun is up in the sky, you don't see any stars."

You can with a telescope.
And even with the naked eye, for that matter.....but only one good long look is allowed.

\just sayin'...
"Perhaps I'll never touch a star, but at least let me reach." ~J Faircloth

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Re: APOD: Endeavour's Starry Night (2011 Jun 02)

Post by jessy27 » Thu May 17, 2012 7:45 pm

islader2,
Are you telling me the earth isn't flat? :lol2: