Thanksgiving ISS and Shuttle Pass

We had a very nice ISS and shuttle pass tonight. I got some good shots (the ISS is always on the right and the shuttle on the left…click to embiggen).In this shot, a car pulled up and its headlights illuminated the landscape for me.

Hey, what’s that orange glow between the cactus? Looks like we got a fire up there. Quick, grab the zoom lens.

And finally, let’s watch them disappear.

Note how the ISS streak fades and reddens as it approaches the mountains. The ISS is passing into Earth’s shadow and the astronauts are experiencing sunset.

There are only a handful of Shuttle Flights left so there are limited opportunities to get these shots. The Shuttle is scheduled to land tomorrow, so no more chances this time.

Who is the Half-Astrophysicist?

My name is Rob Sparks and I work at the National Optical Astronomy Observatory in Tucson in the Education and Public Outreach department. I am heavily involved in a variety of projects including the Galileoscope for the International Year of Astronomy.

I am a former high school physics, math and astronomy teacher at The Good Hope School, St. Stephen’s Episcopal School, and the Priaire School. I went to Grinnell College for undergrad and got my MS at Michigan State.

In my spare time, I do improv with Not Burnt Out, Just Unscrewed in Tucson. I have performed with the Redondo Music Theater as well. Other venues I have performed include the Apple Holler, Over Our Head Players, the Riverfront Theater, the Manatee Players, the Players of Sarasota, and the Island Players. I am a distance runner and do races up to the marathon distance.

I keep in shape by doing a marathon each year and work out at Gold’s Gyms worldwide!

Search Me!

Search for:
Halfastro on Twitter

Error: Twitter did not respond. Please wait a few minutes and refresh this page.

The Half-Astrophysicist Blog