Taking a reasonably clear picture of the International Space Station (ISS) has been a goal of mine for several years, especially with the clear skies in Paradise and the frequency of observable flyovers, as many as five per night.
The challenges are the intensity of sunlight reflecting from the station, its speed, about 5 mi/8 km per second (at a height of 250 miles/400 km), and relatively small size. It is 361 ft/110 m long and 246 ft/75 m wide, about the size of a football field.
Tonight was an exceptional viewing opportunity, with the station visible for 7 minutes, reaching an arc of 82 degrees, nearly directly overhead. It was just after sunset so the sun was very bright on the station.
Three exposures were my best. The solar panels are clearly visible as is the infrastructure. I used the Nikon P950, 1/800 s. F6.4, handheld. Please enjoy these remarkable views of the ISS:
