Comments on: STS 119 and ISS pix at UT

By: Nol

Nol — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 17:47:23 +0000

I like how in the pic of the astronaut Ricky Arnold, you can see in the reflection, the rear end of the space shuttle candidly sticking out from behind the astronaut taking the picture. Probably one of the few pictures where the shuttle was captured on photo by accident. It really makes it feel like a real-life sci-fi TV show, (contradiction, I know) is taking place right above us.

By: ppb

ppb — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 14:27:47 +0000

Beautiful image! I believe the arc on the right is the edge of the window through which the picture was taken. You can see how the arc of the earth’s atmosphere ends there.

By: icemith

icemith — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 11:59:42 +0000

@ TS,

Yeah, Pegs, Heavvvvyyy.

Ivan.

By: John Phillips, FCD

John Phillips, FCD — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 10:06:49 +0000

Wicked photo BA. Another to add to my rotating wallpaper collection.

By: Mchl

Mchl — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 08:37:59 +0000

Just noticed on picture 007753 (the one with both crews in Harmony), that there is a sign indicating direction to Centrifuge Accomodations Module (arrow described CAM poitning up)

Harmony was launched long after CAM was scrapped… so why leave the sign? Not to mention, I am pissed by the fact CAM was scrapped…

I wonder if in Serenity there’ll be a sign pointing to never-would-be TransHab module

By: Clive DuPort

Clive DuPort — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 07:49:11 +0000

Superb pictures. We’ve had some very clear skies over Guernsey, English Channel, in the past week & the ISS has been spectacularly bright. Watching through binoculars gives a great demonstration of its speed as it whizzes past the background stars. Incredible.

By: MKremer

MKremer — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 07:22:08 +0000

For MadScientist:

All the ‘lit’ parts of the station facing the camera are from reflected sunlight. Some of it scattered by the solar arrays, but it’s more because all the station modules are covered in semi-gloss aluminum panels (except for Columbus which has a much more reflective/shiny finish to its panels). Also, much of the truss has very bright white MLI coverings that add to the reflected sunlight brightness.

By: TS

TS — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 06:18:30 +0000

Looks like pegs on clothesline to me

By: MadScientist

MadScientist — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 06:08:01 +0000

@mk:

Sun, sure, but what’s the geometry? The sun would light up the side of the station which we don’t see – I guess the solar panels can be golden through transmitted sunlight; after all the rest of the station is not well-lit. Another option is the moon providing lighting – but I just don’t know enough to figure it all out.

By: Ryan

Ryan — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 04:54:48 +0000

@DLC

DLC, go have a look anyway. I’m in the middle of South-Central LA, and it’s incredibly easy to find when it goes overhead, it was even an assignment for my first astronautics class.

By: TheWhitePhoenix

TheWhitePhoenix — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 03:30:25 +0000

Like I always say…Look what mankind can do! Amazing!

By: DLC

DLC — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 03:18:45 +0000

If I didn’t live in a huge, light-polluted megalopolis I’d go out now and again to have a look at the ISS. It’s just one of those things I consider to be Coolness.

By: Dan I.

Dan I. — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 03:15:53 +0000

Personally I went ahead and added a Carl Sagan quote for my background:

“Somewhere something incredible is waiting to be known.”

Gotta love Carl

By: Blashy

Blashy — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 00:17:47 +0000

WOW! Best desktop background ever!

By: Dan I.

Dan I. — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 00:16:04 +0000

And I now have a new desktop background

By: mk

mk — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 23:52:13 +0000

@madscientist…

1: yes.
2: yes.
3: sun.

By: MadScientist

MadScientist — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 23:26:45 +0000

Ooooo … nice.

I have a bit of trouble interpreting the image though. Is that the earth’s atmosphere lit up and making that blue line? What’s the gray crescent on the right; is that part of the viewing port? How was the ISS lit up to take the shot?

The other pics are great too; with the space-walking astronauts in the picture you get some sense of how huge this thing is.

By: ChrisZ

ChrisZ — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 23:18:51 +0000

What is the ring you can see on the right side of the image? Part of the shuttle?

By: Sir Eccles

Sir Eccles — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 22:39:44 +0000

Looks ‘shopped to me

By: DrFlimmer

DrFlimmer — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 21:59:50 +0000

I already said it over there, but I repeat it here:

I think, somehow the station looks like the flying spaghetti monster

By: LarianLeQuella

LarianLeQuella — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 21:51:27 +0000

New desktop wallpaper!