IMAGE OF THE DAY: Space Coast Treated to Unique Opportunity to #SpotTheStation

By  //  February 26, 2018

stunning image captured in two frames Sunday morning in Melbourne Beach, Florida

The Space Coast of Florida was treated to a chance to #SpotTheStation at 5:48 a.m.  Sunday morning, as the International Space Station flew overhead high and bright, seen above from Melbourne Beach with the Milky Way in the background. (Michael Seeley image)

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – Three of my favorite subjects: The International Space Station, the Milky Way and, of course, the still-beached sailboat named “Cuki,” captured in two frames Sunday morning in Melbourne Beach, Florida.

Frame 1 is the Milky Way, taken at 5:48:30 a.m. (ISO3200, 25 seconds, f2.8) and then the second frame was at 5:49 a.m. (immediately after the first frame, ISO500, 169-seconds, f5.6) is the ISS, streaking over the Space Coast, heading out over the Atlantic Ocean.

And, I was using the Rokinon 12mm Fish-eye for this one, mounted on a Canon 5D4 (full-frame) camera.

In my first version of the composite, the star trails were cool, but distracting, because only the brightest stars left trails. So, this composite is only the ISS streak from the second frame, merged using the “lighter color” setting in Photoshop.

Also, this was all just before the official start of Nautical Twilight, but (as you can see) the color coming up on the horizon is very apparent.

– Michael Seeley

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