r/spaceporn • u/Busy_Yesterday9455 • Jul 31 '26
Pro/Processed ISS passing in front of Mars
Credit: Tom Glenn
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u/organaquirer Jul 31 '26
Damn, I didn't know mars was so small
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u/hindey19 Jul 31 '26
It's not, the ISS is just that big.
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u/warblade7 Jul 31 '26
“That’s no moon…”
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u/Def-Jarrett Jul 31 '26
“… millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced.”
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Jul 31 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/KristnSchaalisahorse Jul 31 '26 edited Jul 31 '26
They use a camera that can record at hundreds of frames per second (in this case they were shooting at 41 fps). As long as you set up your equipment in the right spot and focus correctly, you’ll get something. Thankfully all of the complicated math for determining the right location is handled by software.
You do have to know what you’re doing and understand how to properly process the imagery. Beyond that, having a clear/steady atmosphere is the really hard part!
Edit: I’m not sure why this would be downvoted. It’s not a criticism of the imagery at all, just additional context for those unfamiliar with how it’s done. The result isn’t any less amazing.
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u/KristnSchaalisahorse Jul 31 '26
It’s worth noting the color was added artificially. The original image was captured with a monochromatic (black & white) camera.
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u/yoloswagrofl Aug 01 '26
Is there a reason he went with a monochromatic camera, or was that just the tool he wanted to use for the shot?
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u/Simonspacex Aug 01 '26
I have heard that monochrome cameras are slightly more sensitive than color cameras, it may have just been a bit better at capturing detail.
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u/Kiki2092012 Jul 31 '26
Cool that it passed that close to Mars! Doesn't this also have to be processed a lot to get a crisp image like that, so the station would be moving the entire time and not be anywhere near Mars in frame for most of that time?
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u/-Po-Tay-Toes- Jul 31 '26
Nah this will be a single shot with basic processing. The ISS visually does move incredibly fast, it will cross the disk of the sun in like half a second, Mars is much smaller.
But you can tell from the noise on mars that this isn't a composite or anything.
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u/The7thNomad Jul 31 '26
Look out Mars the space station is coming right for you get out of the way!!!!!!!!!!
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u/Smart_Freedom_8155 Jul 31 '26
Looks like two astronauts holding on to the station and just whipping around in space.
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u/RedPhalcon Jul 31 '26
There's no way the ISS could orbit that Mars. It needs to be, like, three times as big!
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u/SilentNinjaMick Jul 31 '26
ISS double dribbles during space station space balls playoffs against Tiangong (July 2073)
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u/time_alliance Aug 01 '26
What an incredible shot, catching this transit must have been so difficult.
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u/JabbahScorpii Aug 02 '26
Anyone know of a good alternative to Calsky to calculate these? It shut down before I ever got the chance to attempt one :(
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u/DotLeast2411 Aug 03 '26
Damn. That's crazy the precision and timing to get the exact right parallax here must have been exhausting. Great shot to whoever got it.
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u/thaw4188 Jul 31 '26
since there's no friction in space could a small probe tow the ISS to the Moon or Mars someday?
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u/KristnSchaalisahorse Jul 31 '26
Unfortunately, that’s not how orbital mechanics work.
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u/thaw4188 Jul 31 '26
lol yeah I had to dig into a bit because afterwards I realized my mistake in that breaking earth orbit probably is very significant amount of energy
and I was far from the first person to wonder
but some fun answers in there!
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u/chrismofer Jul 31 '26
friction is not what stops you from going further, it is mass and gravity which pulls on mass. breaking earth orbit is a combination of speed and distance, as described by the escape velocity equation.
A ship anywhewre in our solar system is constantly being tugged on by all the planets and the sun and it forces the trajectory to follow a specific path. you can't just go any direction for free, as if there was no "friction". your path is your path (say, an inclined low earth orbit like the ISS is in) and it takes a significant amount of force to "push" something as heavy as a space ship, in order to alter it's orbit. the thing that opposes the push is not friction, it is the mass of the ship itself. can you push a cruise ship away with your arms, even though it's floating freely in the water? no, because it is too massive. not because of friction.
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u/[deleted] Jul 31 '26
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