tbonerocks.com / Our new neighbor

NASA IOTD

Composite of a Series of Images Taken From Space Aboard the Station

This is a composite of a series of images photographed from a mounted camera on the Earth-orbiting International Space Station, from approximately 240 miles above Earth. Space station hardware in the foreground includes the Mini-Research Module (MRM1, center) and a Russian Progress vehicle docked to the Pirs Docking Compartment (right). Expedition 31 Flight Engineer Don Pettit said of the photographic techniques used to achieve the images: "My star trail images are made by taking a time exposure of about 10 to 15 minutes. However, with modern digital cameras, 30 seconds is about the longest exposure possible, due to electronic detector noise effectively snowing out the image. To achieve the longer exposures I do what many amateur astronomers do. I take multiple 30-second exposures, then 'stack' them using imaging software, thus producing the longer exposure." A total of 47 images photographed by the astronaut-monitored stationary camera were combined to create this composite. Image Credit: NASA
Read More

Our new neighbor

Recently, a new neighbor has moved into our neighborhood and thankfully, he’s not a “tweaker”. He’s a cute little marsupial (well, not that little). I have not named him yet but I have taken quite a liking to him and I think he is getting used it to me also. Tonight was the first time he was photogenic for me.