I Spy in the Sky with My Little Eye

It had been a rainy day. The sun was hanging above the western horizon when I noticed a strange phenomenon.  With camera in hand, I opened a window so there would be no distortion.  This is what the camera and my eye saw.

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It looks like there is moisture on the lens, but that’s not the case.  My eyes saw the same scene.  Can anyone explain this for me?

ISS

I recently bought a tablet to replace a dying laptop computer.  The apps that are available for it are amazing.  One is a tracker for the International Space Station (ISS).  The app tracks and displays the ISS position on a world map.  It also shows live video from the HD camera (usually of the clouds and earth below) or the SD camera (usually of the space station).

ISS-2013

By using that app, Sylvia and I have for the last two nights watched the ISS shortly after our sunset as it flew across the sky.  (That is not my pic.)

With 7×50 binoculars, we were able to see the station and especially the large solar panels.  It was great having two consecutive nights with good viewing conditions.

SATURN

Unfortunately, when I aimed those binoculars at Saturn, it didn’t work so well.  Most of that is shaky hands.  (Objects tend to “dance” around the field of view.)  I’m going to get out the heavy duty tripod and the 11×80 binoculars for another try on the next night with good viewing.

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About Chuck

I am retired after a career in electronics and in publishing. Today, my wife of 50+ years, Sylvia, and I live in a house on a hill beside a dirt road in rural west Michigan. We enjoy living in this country environment where livestock and wild life out number the human population.

15 thoughts on “I Spy in the Sky with My Little Eye

    • I have wanted to but it’s only visible for a short time and then just before sunrise or after sunset. The problem is knowing when and where to look.

  1. You have demonstrated why they are trying to make normal computers more like tablets and phones. The computer makers want apps like this on Windows too.

    • I find it interesting that I paid less than 25% of the cost for a Windows laptop for my tablet. I have only one computer that runs Windows, and that only because of apps that run only on that OS.

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