Brettus
10-06-13, 01:56 PM
Saturday:
I'd had the idea for a while to take an ISS pass with the Lovell Telescope at Jodrell Bank in it, the link seemed obvious yet I hadn't seen many (if any) pictures with the two in. Plenty of awesome ISS shots though.
The ISS has been visible for a month earlier in the year and a week already this month but I'm usually in a habit of early waking for work so that means early sleeping too so I never got an opportunity. Saturday night I'd finished watching a movie (The Ghost, Ewan McGregor and Pierce Brosnan, pretty good actually) and it was 23:20, I thought I'd check the ISS schedule (http://www.meteorwatch.org/iss-international-space-station-uk-passes-june-2013/) and saw there was one due over at 23:31, I checked the clock and it was now 23:30, stepped outside and watched awe struck as always as the brightest object in the sky appears and transited the now clear sky. Next pass is c.90 mins away, I've got an hours drive time to my destination... It's ON!
Packed my stuff, mini torch and mega torch too and dashed off leaving my wife in tired disbelief. I pretty much knew where I was going but put the sat-nav on for a dynamic ETA.. looking good. I arrived at where I'd parked previously (just in the visitors entrance but not obstructing anything) and disembarked complete with gear, a step or two away from the traffic barrier a very bright security light came on and showed that security was significantly more serious. (my mind did consider the penalty for tresspass but decided against it) resigned, I got back in the car I'd travelled all the way here but couldn't get close enough to make it a compelling picture..... I remembered the telescope was surrounded by farm land and headed further down the small lane I'd been on. There was a gateway I could park in and an open field looking over toward the telescope, perfect!
Out of the car, very conscious of time running out before the next pass I dashed down the road looking for a way into the field. Paranoid I'd alerted security by setting off the light and CCTV I kept a low profile by not using either torch. I negotiated a small bank and I was in the field, great it's thigh high corn. Thankfully I'd entered at a patch of no growth so I found the tyre tracks and walked in them toward my target, completely unaware of the dew which had already formed after such a nice warm day. By the time I'd walked 2/3 of the way down the field (the point of best view) my legs were soaked and I'd got 4-5 minutes maximum before it was due to make an appearance. I set up but felt too far away from the telescope and couldn't get closer as there were train tracks in the way. I had no choice, set up and get sorted. I couldn't use a high aperture because of the low light so I set it at F4 and twisted the focus all the way to the right, the test shot was rubbish, looked like I'd got vaseline on the lens. I kept looking for lights moving in the telescope grounds and my senses were super alert, I heard a noise, rustling, moving towards me! Knowing it could only be a small mammal didn't really help settle me, I made as much noise as I dared and flashed my torch, the motion stopped and either went stealthily past or turned back and crept away. That over I knew time was of the essence photographic panic was now setting in, it'll be here any moment. twist it all the way to the other side (thinking infinity must be the other way, that'll be fine, yes I realise what you're calling me in your head NOW!) the shots were all rubbish, the best I got was an indistinct treeline to the west with a streak. Technically a picture of the ISS but not one I couldn't have got anywhere else. The ones with the telescope in were obscured by trees and the subject was too far away to be a feature. :(
Packing up and ready to trudge back to the car I saw a person with a torch over in the grounds, just walking around from the looks of it, not searching. I packed my things as quietly as possible (it was over 100 yards away but every noise felt like it was going to give me away) I trudged back, trainers squeaking and making me feel even more self conscious. Back at the car I felt utterly disappointed, I'd tried pretty hard I thought, I'd got here, I'd found a spot despite the obstacles and I'd still got nothing. 90 minutes was weighed against 60 minutes drive home.... hmm I COULD wait for the next pass, I knew there was another one. Google maps on GPRS was my next pain for the evening, load up the map, find me then switch to satellite, I was stood outside the car for fear of sitting in it and having someone knock on the window. Least if I was stood here I could hear and see them approach. It loaded finally and I found a lane to the south which got me close and a driveway from it led to a field adjacent to where I wanted to be.... Plan B was now formulated. Down the road I went, looking for a spot to leave the car, when I hopped out I was under trees and it was pitch black. I had no option but to use my mini torch this did little to alleviate the feeling creeped out as when I surveyed the area I heard scuffles of small feet and movement in the woods. I pressed on, found the driveway and wandered up it, looking for signs of more security lights or such. Nothing like that was there, I saw the field to my left and scrambled across the nomansland of rough deeply rutted grass and then realised the field was ploughed! I'd turned the torch off when I was on the drive as the trees were gone and I didn't want to give myself away or scare anyone in the nearby farmhouse etc (not least because farmers often are armed). I had to use the torch but even on dim mode it was too bright, I wrapped my hand around it and released the bare minimum of the 9 lumens it was sending out (not a lot to begin with but at full dark it SEEMED like a lot) I didn't want to cross the field in a straight line despite it being ploughed as I didn't want to leave any obvious tracks to offend the landowner. I skirted the outside whilst keeping an eye on my watch, half way around the same field turned to corn, great, more wetness. It was just after 2am now and some big patches of fog had appeared during my drive around to the second point, looking across the field I could make out banks of it lingering. I spotted a place to move to the next field and through the gap the telescope was framed, it looked like the holy grail at this point. I hopped the fence, peering into the dark to check I wasn't about to be gored (nothing within the 30 feet I could clearly make out anything, it MUST be safe right?) It was at this point I realised I'd left my phone in the car, great, what if I break my ankle in the ploughed field, what if the car isn't there when I get back, what if I'm bored.... It was too horrible to think about. I walked out into the field (it was just grass! a blessing after all I'd been through) under the massive structure of the dish. I felt like I was in tron, approaching a massive overseer and hoping not to be noticed. I walked as close as I dared and got set up in total darkness (the torch was abandoned once I'd got to the corn again. I did a few test shots and worked on my focussing, there was still almost 40 minutes before the next pass but I was glad to be in position (hoping I wasn't about to get a searchlight pointed at me) and I dialled in the focus perfectly. tried every exposure length/ISO setting I could think of and settled on 30 seconds at ISO 400, well that was it, what more could I do now?
I didn't trust my remaining battery enough to shoot for the sake of it to get star trails or anything so I stood in darkness, camera powered off admiring the sky and the view of the imposing structure. I heard a noise I'd heard quite a few times, a boy racer on a nearby road, revving up and then fading out. It was after 2am, what were they playing at? after a few more times I began to think maybe its a guy that works there, has a sealed road to himself in the night so tries his hand at rallying or something doing laps of the site (that'd explain the change in tone I'd heard). It came again but this time I was close enough to hear the supporting structure of the telescope creak as it shifted position, the engine sounds almost like a flywheel being spun up which then engages and turns or elevates the dish. It was almost constantly moving (an obvious point perhaps but still one that is under appreciated I think) this sleuthing and appreciation of the scale of the engineering must've killed some of the time, hmm nope, still almost a full 20 minutes left. Not having my phone was becoming a concern for other reasons, I'd started to want to double check the transit time, I wanted to check the direction I needed to face and where it might be leaving the sky... I had to just wing it. Time passed as it inevitably does, there were some more animal calls and scamperings that I heard but nothing big enough to register in the murk so I shuffled my feet to make sure THEY knew I was here and the time was almost here. I was scanning the sky vehemently, nothing, nothing, nothing, stars started to seem to move the more I stared at them. Planes kept skimming the horizon but the flashes gave them away as such. There, a steady light with very real motion! but wait, it was low on the horizon, further to the left than I expected... Hmm, maybe that means I'll get a nice graceful arch! I picked the tripod and camera up and legged it across the field to my right to get the telescope and low pass in the shot. Hmm nope, too far, trees covering the view, once I got a suitable compromise of position and composition I realised I'd screwed the focus up, re-did that (all whilst the ISS was making its way over, it didn't look as bright as it should, my memory reminded me that there were overhead really bright passes and lower passes and passes with less brightness. I'd stood around getting cold and bored and I wasn't going to get the shot I wanted. I'd got some nice shots of the telescope though so I guess that was something. I headed back to the car, not relishing the idea of the ploughed field but had to do it, I used the torch and as much speed as I dared. I was desperate to get back home now. Fed up and getting tired. (surprisingly I'd been running on excitement all this time so felt REALLY awake) after a few near misses with missing my footing I slowed down and inched my way out. Onto the driveway and back to the road, indulging myself by turning the big torch on and lighting up the road and making my retinas ache with delightful photons. Back on the road it dawned on me (no pun intended) that dawn was well and truly on its way, the ground mist patches that were everywhere would make for some imperssive sunrise pictures. But even this was too much, I wanted home and my bed,
I got home finally at 4am and slumped into bed, leaving the camera and images in the car without a second thought, they'll wait.
Sunday
When consciousness finally returned to me I'd missed any hope of getting a McDonalds breakfast but I needed something even before I could go and look at the images I'd worked so hard for. By the time I got round to them the excitement had worn off as I knew I hadn't got "the shot" the one I'd seen in my head and was trying to replicate. But I knew I had some cool ones of the telescope so let's have a look.... The more I looked at them the more convinced I was that with the addition of a trail from the ISS it'd look pretty neat, the idea definitely wasn't dead on the drawing board. I google mapped the area with the benefit of broadband and spotted what looked like a better access route. OK so I could make this work IF I do my research a bit better on what passes, what direction and make sure I focus the image properly....
9pm that night my wife said she was off to bed, are you coming too? err no, no I'm not, I'm going to take a drive to Jodrell Bank again (My poor wife, understanding it was out of the question but acceptance was there) I packed my stuff, I'd charged the mega torch and my camera. I'd screenshotted the timetable for tonights pass and knew it was a pretty early one 22:42, not bad for a sunday, I could be back in the car by 23:00 and home by Midnight, thats just about do-able for a work night. Game on! Ah, but I know I haven't much fuel left, I'll have to fill up (I knew this wouldn't be simple at 9:30 on a Sunday night but it'll work) I thought, just in case, I'll sling the 10l jerry can in the boot to be sure. As I was heading there the sun was fading (it only set at 21:45ish) and I couldn't tell if the sky was flatly cloudy or if it was just featureless, I hoped it was the latter. around 22:15 I almost turned back thinking I'm going to get there and it'll be completely clouded over (it had been only an hour or two earlier at home) but I kept going thinking I can check what the new access place is like at the very least. As I got out of the car I scanned the sky looking for any sign of stars but saw nothing initially, then my eyes adjusted and picked out maybe 3-4 stars showing (it was still quite light, I navigated my way along the route without even pausing to check my footing as it was still light enough for that) The route was bliss, cut grass, small bridge and then straight into the field I'd been in the previous night. I felt like an old hand at this now but still nervous approaching, especially as if it was light enough to walk by comfortably it was light enough to be seen by, especially setting up a tripod and camera. I was plenty early so I walked as many angles as I could trying to find the best shot, I settled for straight on to it and moved over to line up, I couldn't get both control towers in the shot, one was always obscured by trees, I selected my preferred view and set up, focussed and prepared.
The sky was still so light that few stars were showing, it looked a brilliant blue on the images, not the inky blue that I was getting last night. I tried all the settings and found my preferred one. I was ready, bring on the spaceship! I scanned the sky, convinced myself that 3-4 stars were moving (each in turn as I studied it closely) then eventually it came into view and was unmistakable as always, moving with pace and brightening with each passing moment. I entertained the idea of swinging the camera round and getting some shots that way but I'd mess up my fous and could ruin my shot, it was late, it was Sunday, it was now or never. I watched the arc with growing dismay, it was barely going to touch the frame I'd set up. Even if I dashed to my left I'd not get enough to help it now, time was fleeting. It did end up in the frame, barely but as I hurried back to the car (spurred on by a call of nature) I considered, is this my best? I'm happy to accept that my best may fall short of some of the images I see online but I just wasn't happy with it, I KNOW my gear is capable of more, I can get more of a composition by finding that sweet spot of view point. Another night, that car seems a LOT further away now, I REALLY need to find some conveniences. I make it to the car and I'm relieved temporarily. I need to find some toilets and fuel at what is it now... 23:00 on a Sunday night, I'm NOWHERE near civilisation, certainly not 24hr civilisation... Sat nav come to my aid, search for POIs nearby, fuel, yes that'd be good, the M6 isn't far away but the junctions are, I've got 22 miles on the fuel guage, the satnav has no decent suggestions, certainly nothing that states M6 in the title, I head off regardless before the call of nature starts to ring again. I quickly realise I'm heading further into nowhere, still heading for the motorway but small back lanes all the time. I pull over and select a point on the map manually and ask it to direct me there (by the most convoluted route it can find just to spite me for getting lost and THEN asking for help) I'm on my way, 18 miles is the journey, 19 in the tank.. thankfully now I've got direction my fuel usage is a little more gentle, I'm moving and the need for the toilet has subsided enough, the last few miles on the M6 were the longest ones I've travelled in a while though. I've had better Sunday evenings, I'm not sure I've had worse. With great relief I made it and thought about the night so far, I'd got close but not quite what I wanted, What was that next pass like? the last of the nights with 2 good overhead passes, this means I can learn from the trajectory I'd just experienced and make the shot, if I returned in a week, two weeks time, would I get it right first time? OK so I could make it, google says its 20 minutes back and looking at the clock it says I've got.... 25 minutes!!! damnit, I need fuel... Stubbornness kicked in "I'm not paying 1 pound effing 47!" I squeezed the contents of the 10l jerry can into the car like a ketchup bottle. Jump in the car, fire up the sat nav as I'll be heading from a direction I've got no idea about, OK I'll make it, hold on, I'll make it by a reasonable margin.... Whats going on? I have no time to fathom this, I head off and flick the over priced petrol station the one fingered salute as I pass. Back to my parking spot, wander across the field and wonder about the merits of having the further off shot which would get more of the ISS arc in... but I can get a big arc anywhere I muse, I'm HERE for the telescope, let's carry on and feature that prominently. I take up my spot, fine tune everything once more and with the test shot complete and almost 10 minutes till the pass I leave it shooting thinking I can maybe get some star trails while I wait. The time passes, every 30 seconds the camera click clacks its way to another exposure to mark the passage of time. The time arrives, I scan the sky, still fooling myself with several stars, time goes by, 2 minutes beyond the time, I should have seen it by now, I check further up in the sky, nothing. The gut wrenching disappointment hits me, I've done all this, refined my approach, spent HOURS in pitch black fields and it amounts to naught.... I check my phone, I've remembered it and I've got a faint data signal, refresh the meteorwatch page and check the time, it isn't for another 10 minutes, I'd just looked at the wrong line! huzzah! wait, that means I'm here for another 15 minutes standing round... Oh well, I chose to do this I remind myself.
The camera continues its documentation of the movement of the night sky whilst I stand vigil for the rise of the spaceship, with people inside, going round our planet at 17,500 miles an hour.... It appears, I've got everything sorted this time surely, I watch it rise, try and spot the point it'll set at the other side but it's still too early to be sure, as it gets closer I can finally fit the ISS and the telescope into my field of view, it's going wide, oh no, it's going to miss I know it is, ooh no, it's looking OK (quick check behind the camera, I can't see the frame as it is shooting but I guesstimate its field of view, it'll be in the frame, how much is up to luck now. I let it run, click, clack............click, clack..........it seems an eternity, I decide to let it do a couple more than necessary as I know the camera picks up more than the naked eye can often appreciate, as I do I see another dot chasing it, faster but still steady, can't be an aircraft. sadly it faded out before making it into the shot but I'm not disappointed by that.
I later found out it was the ATV4 spaceship, heading to the ISS to restock it with supplies. (pretty cool huh?)
I checked the last few shots and saw the trail acceptably in the shot and my enthusiasm just left me all at once. I'd done it, I was free of my obsession with chasing "my best" I packed up and walked briskly back to my car. Because I had no intention of returning in quite a while (and I'd walked past my path a little already) I decided I could walk back with some comfort and used my little torch, once clear of the main field I decided to power on the mega torch. This field is not small, it takes 2-3 minutes of good paced walking to cross it but the torch traversed it with ease, I could reasonably clearly make out the trees by my car (not by their silhouette) I swung it over the field and must've been able to illuminate 2/3 to 3/4 of the field from the corner I was in. my grin spread, such illuminating power in something not much bigger than a can of drink. (It's a clone of a Nitecore TM11 (TM=TinyMonster) I've not used it at full dark in an open environment so it was impressive. as I neared the car I wondered about turning it the other way, I shone it back over 3/4 of the length of the field with another field beyond before the telescope but I could clearly make out the arc of light rising and lighting up the ENTIRE STRUCTURE! OMG AMAZEBALLS! ****, what have I done?! Quick, fly you fool! I dashed to the car, threw my stuff in and heard a car approaching fast from my right (where the main entrance to the grounds are) oh crap, it's gonna skid to a halt and I'm going to be made to delete my pictures, can I pull away in time nope, they are on me....
The car whizzed past without even a glance, just another person out late and wanting to get home, my over active mind. Still, I didn't hang around, I got into the car and headed home, content and drained. The same drill again with the images, no time to do anything with them but I've captured them now, they can't change or anything so I'll sort them tomorrow.
Sleep didn't come easy after such an eventful and tense evening but I processed the images and am even more pleased with the results than I expected. Thanks for reading, hope you were at least mildly entertained. Describing a guy standing in a field for long periods in the dark doesn't sound very interesting but the thoughts and the subconscious fears that kick in are entertaining. I hope I relayed them in an entertaining manner :)
TL;DR: I spent my weekend nights stood in a field in the dark fearing everything but got a picture at the end of it.
Below is the final shot resulting from the two nights and around 4 hours milling around the location: (I considered posting the ones that didn't make the cut at the appropriate point in the story but I've owned up to them, it's not like I'm saying I turned up, popped my head out of the car and clicked the shutter. I feel showing them would detract from the end result.
http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2894/9004297539_557c5463f6_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/brettnet/9004297539/)
Lovell Telescope ISS Pass 10/06 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/brettnet/9004297539/) by Brettus - Brettnet.co.uk (http://www.flickr.com/people/brettnet/), on Flickr
I'd had the idea for a while to take an ISS pass with the Lovell Telescope at Jodrell Bank in it, the link seemed obvious yet I hadn't seen many (if any) pictures with the two in. Plenty of awesome ISS shots though.
The ISS has been visible for a month earlier in the year and a week already this month but I'm usually in a habit of early waking for work so that means early sleeping too so I never got an opportunity. Saturday night I'd finished watching a movie (The Ghost, Ewan McGregor and Pierce Brosnan, pretty good actually) and it was 23:20, I thought I'd check the ISS schedule (http://www.meteorwatch.org/iss-international-space-station-uk-passes-june-2013/) and saw there was one due over at 23:31, I checked the clock and it was now 23:30, stepped outside and watched awe struck as always as the brightest object in the sky appears and transited the now clear sky. Next pass is c.90 mins away, I've got an hours drive time to my destination... It's ON!
Packed my stuff, mini torch and mega torch too and dashed off leaving my wife in tired disbelief. I pretty much knew where I was going but put the sat-nav on for a dynamic ETA.. looking good. I arrived at where I'd parked previously (just in the visitors entrance but not obstructing anything) and disembarked complete with gear, a step or two away from the traffic barrier a very bright security light came on and showed that security was significantly more serious. (my mind did consider the penalty for tresspass but decided against it) resigned, I got back in the car I'd travelled all the way here but couldn't get close enough to make it a compelling picture..... I remembered the telescope was surrounded by farm land and headed further down the small lane I'd been on. There was a gateway I could park in and an open field looking over toward the telescope, perfect!
Out of the car, very conscious of time running out before the next pass I dashed down the road looking for a way into the field. Paranoid I'd alerted security by setting off the light and CCTV I kept a low profile by not using either torch. I negotiated a small bank and I was in the field, great it's thigh high corn. Thankfully I'd entered at a patch of no growth so I found the tyre tracks and walked in them toward my target, completely unaware of the dew which had already formed after such a nice warm day. By the time I'd walked 2/3 of the way down the field (the point of best view) my legs were soaked and I'd got 4-5 minutes maximum before it was due to make an appearance. I set up but felt too far away from the telescope and couldn't get closer as there were train tracks in the way. I had no choice, set up and get sorted. I couldn't use a high aperture because of the low light so I set it at F4 and twisted the focus all the way to the right, the test shot was rubbish, looked like I'd got vaseline on the lens. I kept looking for lights moving in the telescope grounds and my senses were super alert, I heard a noise, rustling, moving towards me! Knowing it could only be a small mammal didn't really help settle me, I made as much noise as I dared and flashed my torch, the motion stopped and either went stealthily past or turned back and crept away. That over I knew time was of the essence photographic panic was now setting in, it'll be here any moment. twist it all the way to the other side (thinking infinity must be the other way, that'll be fine, yes I realise what you're calling me in your head NOW!) the shots were all rubbish, the best I got was an indistinct treeline to the west with a streak. Technically a picture of the ISS but not one I couldn't have got anywhere else. The ones with the telescope in were obscured by trees and the subject was too far away to be a feature. :(
Packing up and ready to trudge back to the car I saw a person with a torch over in the grounds, just walking around from the looks of it, not searching. I packed my things as quietly as possible (it was over 100 yards away but every noise felt like it was going to give me away) I trudged back, trainers squeaking and making me feel even more self conscious. Back at the car I felt utterly disappointed, I'd tried pretty hard I thought, I'd got here, I'd found a spot despite the obstacles and I'd still got nothing. 90 minutes was weighed against 60 minutes drive home.... hmm I COULD wait for the next pass, I knew there was another one. Google maps on GPRS was my next pain for the evening, load up the map, find me then switch to satellite, I was stood outside the car for fear of sitting in it and having someone knock on the window. Least if I was stood here I could hear and see them approach. It loaded finally and I found a lane to the south which got me close and a driveway from it led to a field adjacent to where I wanted to be.... Plan B was now formulated. Down the road I went, looking for a spot to leave the car, when I hopped out I was under trees and it was pitch black. I had no option but to use my mini torch this did little to alleviate the feeling creeped out as when I surveyed the area I heard scuffles of small feet and movement in the woods. I pressed on, found the driveway and wandered up it, looking for signs of more security lights or such. Nothing like that was there, I saw the field to my left and scrambled across the nomansland of rough deeply rutted grass and then realised the field was ploughed! I'd turned the torch off when I was on the drive as the trees were gone and I didn't want to give myself away or scare anyone in the nearby farmhouse etc (not least because farmers often are armed). I had to use the torch but even on dim mode it was too bright, I wrapped my hand around it and released the bare minimum of the 9 lumens it was sending out (not a lot to begin with but at full dark it SEEMED like a lot) I didn't want to cross the field in a straight line despite it being ploughed as I didn't want to leave any obvious tracks to offend the landowner. I skirted the outside whilst keeping an eye on my watch, half way around the same field turned to corn, great, more wetness. It was just after 2am now and some big patches of fog had appeared during my drive around to the second point, looking across the field I could make out banks of it lingering. I spotted a place to move to the next field and through the gap the telescope was framed, it looked like the holy grail at this point. I hopped the fence, peering into the dark to check I wasn't about to be gored (nothing within the 30 feet I could clearly make out anything, it MUST be safe right?) It was at this point I realised I'd left my phone in the car, great, what if I break my ankle in the ploughed field, what if the car isn't there when I get back, what if I'm bored.... It was too horrible to think about. I walked out into the field (it was just grass! a blessing after all I'd been through) under the massive structure of the dish. I felt like I was in tron, approaching a massive overseer and hoping not to be noticed. I walked as close as I dared and got set up in total darkness (the torch was abandoned once I'd got to the corn again. I did a few test shots and worked on my focussing, there was still almost 40 minutes before the next pass but I was glad to be in position (hoping I wasn't about to get a searchlight pointed at me) and I dialled in the focus perfectly. tried every exposure length/ISO setting I could think of and settled on 30 seconds at ISO 400, well that was it, what more could I do now?
I didn't trust my remaining battery enough to shoot for the sake of it to get star trails or anything so I stood in darkness, camera powered off admiring the sky and the view of the imposing structure. I heard a noise I'd heard quite a few times, a boy racer on a nearby road, revving up and then fading out. It was after 2am, what were they playing at? after a few more times I began to think maybe its a guy that works there, has a sealed road to himself in the night so tries his hand at rallying or something doing laps of the site (that'd explain the change in tone I'd heard). It came again but this time I was close enough to hear the supporting structure of the telescope creak as it shifted position, the engine sounds almost like a flywheel being spun up which then engages and turns or elevates the dish. It was almost constantly moving (an obvious point perhaps but still one that is under appreciated I think) this sleuthing and appreciation of the scale of the engineering must've killed some of the time, hmm nope, still almost a full 20 minutes left. Not having my phone was becoming a concern for other reasons, I'd started to want to double check the transit time, I wanted to check the direction I needed to face and where it might be leaving the sky... I had to just wing it. Time passed as it inevitably does, there were some more animal calls and scamperings that I heard but nothing big enough to register in the murk so I shuffled my feet to make sure THEY knew I was here and the time was almost here. I was scanning the sky vehemently, nothing, nothing, nothing, stars started to seem to move the more I stared at them. Planes kept skimming the horizon but the flashes gave them away as such. There, a steady light with very real motion! but wait, it was low on the horizon, further to the left than I expected... Hmm, maybe that means I'll get a nice graceful arch! I picked the tripod and camera up and legged it across the field to my right to get the telescope and low pass in the shot. Hmm nope, too far, trees covering the view, once I got a suitable compromise of position and composition I realised I'd screwed the focus up, re-did that (all whilst the ISS was making its way over, it didn't look as bright as it should, my memory reminded me that there were overhead really bright passes and lower passes and passes with less brightness. I'd stood around getting cold and bored and I wasn't going to get the shot I wanted. I'd got some nice shots of the telescope though so I guess that was something. I headed back to the car, not relishing the idea of the ploughed field but had to do it, I used the torch and as much speed as I dared. I was desperate to get back home now. Fed up and getting tired. (surprisingly I'd been running on excitement all this time so felt REALLY awake) after a few near misses with missing my footing I slowed down and inched my way out. Onto the driveway and back to the road, indulging myself by turning the big torch on and lighting up the road and making my retinas ache with delightful photons. Back on the road it dawned on me (no pun intended) that dawn was well and truly on its way, the ground mist patches that were everywhere would make for some imperssive sunrise pictures. But even this was too much, I wanted home and my bed,
I got home finally at 4am and slumped into bed, leaving the camera and images in the car without a second thought, they'll wait.
Sunday
When consciousness finally returned to me I'd missed any hope of getting a McDonalds breakfast but I needed something even before I could go and look at the images I'd worked so hard for. By the time I got round to them the excitement had worn off as I knew I hadn't got "the shot" the one I'd seen in my head and was trying to replicate. But I knew I had some cool ones of the telescope so let's have a look.... The more I looked at them the more convinced I was that with the addition of a trail from the ISS it'd look pretty neat, the idea definitely wasn't dead on the drawing board. I google mapped the area with the benefit of broadband and spotted what looked like a better access route. OK so I could make this work IF I do my research a bit better on what passes, what direction and make sure I focus the image properly....
9pm that night my wife said she was off to bed, are you coming too? err no, no I'm not, I'm going to take a drive to Jodrell Bank again (My poor wife, understanding it was out of the question but acceptance was there) I packed my stuff, I'd charged the mega torch and my camera. I'd screenshotted the timetable for tonights pass and knew it was a pretty early one 22:42, not bad for a sunday, I could be back in the car by 23:00 and home by Midnight, thats just about do-able for a work night. Game on! Ah, but I know I haven't much fuel left, I'll have to fill up (I knew this wouldn't be simple at 9:30 on a Sunday night but it'll work) I thought, just in case, I'll sling the 10l jerry can in the boot to be sure. As I was heading there the sun was fading (it only set at 21:45ish) and I couldn't tell if the sky was flatly cloudy or if it was just featureless, I hoped it was the latter. around 22:15 I almost turned back thinking I'm going to get there and it'll be completely clouded over (it had been only an hour or two earlier at home) but I kept going thinking I can check what the new access place is like at the very least. As I got out of the car I scanned the sky looking for any sign of stars but saw nothing initially, then my eyes adjusted and picked out maybe 3-4 stars showing (it was still quite light, I navigated my way along the route without even pausing to check my footing as it was still light enough for that) The route was bliss, cut grass, small bridge and then straight into the field I'd been in the previous night. I felt like an old hand at this now but still nervous approaching, especially as if it was light enough to walk by comfortably it was light enough to be seen by, especially setting up a tripod and camera. I was plenty early so I walked as many angles as I could trying to find the best shot, I settled for straight on to it and moved over to line up, I couldn't get both control towers in the shot, one was always obscured by trees, I selected my preferred view and set up, focussed and prepared.
The sky was still so light that few stars were showing, it looked a brilliant blue on the images, not the inky blue that I was getting last night. I tried all the settings and found my preferred one. I was ready, bring on the spaceship! I scanned the sky, convinced myself that 3-4 stars were moving (each in turn as I studied it closely) then eventually it came into view and was unmistakable as always, moving with pace and brightening with each passing moment. I entertained the idea of swinging the camera round and getting some shots that way but I'd mess up my fous and could ruin my shot, it was late, it was Sunday, it was now or never. I watched the arc with growing dismay, it was barely going to touch the frame I'd set up. Even if I dashed to my left I'd not get enough to help it now, time was fleeting. It did end up in the frame, barely but as I hurried back to the car (spurred on by a call of nature) I considered, is this my best? I'm happy to accept that my best may fall short of some of the images I see online but I just wasn't happy with it, I KNOW my gear is capable of more, I can get more of a composition by finding that sweet spot of view point. Another night, that car seems a LOT further away now, I REALLY need to find some conveniences. I make it to the car and I'm relieved temporarily. I need to find some toilets and fuel at what is it now... 23:00 on a Sunday night, I'm NOWHERE near civilisation, certainly not 24hr civilisation... Sat nav come to my aid, search for POIs nearby, fuel, yes that'd be good, the M6 isn't far away but the junctions are, I've got 22 miles on the fuel guage, the satnav has no decent suggestions, certainly nothing that states M6 in the title, I head off regardless before the call of nature starts to ring again. I quickly realise I'm heading further into nowhere, still heading for the motorway but small back lanes all the time. I pull over and select a point on the map manually and ask it to direct me there (by the most convoluted route it can find just to spite me for getting lost and THEN asking for help) I'm on my way, 18 miles is the journey, 19 in the tank.. thankfully now I've got direction my fuel usage is a little more gentle, I'm moving and the need for the toilet has subsided enough, the last few miles on the M6 were the longest ones I've travelled in a while though. I've had better Sunday evenings, I'm not sure I've had worse. With great relief I made it and thought about the night so far, I'd got close but not quite what I wanted, What was that next pass like? the last of the nights with 2 good overhead passes, this means I can learn from the trajectory I'd just experienced and make the shot, if I returned in a week, two weeks time, would I get it right first time? OK so I could make it, google says its 20 minutes back and looking at the clock it says I've got.... 25 minutes!!! damnit, I need fuel... Stubbornness kicked in "I'm not paying 1 pound effing 47!" I squeezed the contents of the 10l jerry can into the car like a ketchup bottle. Jump in the car, fire up the sat nav as I'll be heading from a direction I've got no idea about, OK I'll make it, hold on, I'll make it by a reasonable margin.... Whats going on? I have no time to fathom this, I head off and flick the over priced petrol station the one fingered salute as I pass. Back to my parking spot, wander across the field and wonder about the merits of having the further off shot which would get more of the ISS arc in... but I can get a big arc anywhere I muse, I'm HERE for the telescope, let's carry on and feature that prominently. I take up my spot, fine tune everything once more and with the test shot complete and almost 10 minutes till the pass I leave it shooting thinking I can maybe get some star trails while I wait. The time passes, every 30 seconds the camera click clacks its way to another exposure to mark the passage of time. The time arrives, I scan the sky, still fooling myself with several stars, time goes by, 2 minutes beyond the time, I should have seen it by now, I check further up in the sky, nothing. The gut wrenching disappointment hits me, I've done all this, refined my approach, spent HOURS in pitch black fields and it amounts to naught.... I check my phone, I've remembered it and I've got a faint data signal, refresh the meteorwatch page and check the time, it isn't for another 10 minutes, I'd just looked at the wrong line! huzzah! wait, that means I'm here for another 15 minutes standing round... Oh well, I chose to do this I remind myself.
The camera continues its documentation of the movement of the night sky whilst I stand vigil for the rise of the spaceship, with people inside, going round our planet at 17,500 miles an hour.... It appears, I've got everything sorted this time surely, I watch it rise, try and spot the point it'll set at the other side but it's still too early to be sure, as it gets closer I can finally fit the ISS and the telescope into my field of view, it's going wide, oh no, it's going to miss I know it is, ooh no, it's looking OK (quick check behind the camera, I can't see the frame as it is shooting but I guesstimate its field of view, it'll be in the frame, how much is up to luck now. I let it run, click, clack............click, clack..........it seems an eternity, I decide to let it do a couple more than necessary as I know the camera picks up more than the naked eye can often appreciate, as I do I see another dot chasing it, faster but still steady, can't be an aircraft. sadly it faded out before making it into the shot but I'm not disappointed by that.
I later found out it was the ATV4 spaceship, heading to the ISS to restock it with supplies. (pretty cool huh?)
I checked the last few shots and saw the trail acceptably in the shot and my enthusiasm just left me all at once. I'd done it, I was free of my obsession with chasing "my best" I packed up and walked briskly back to my car. Because I had no intention of returning in quite a while (and I'd walked past my path a little already) I decided I could walk back with some comfort and used my little torch, once clear of the main field I decided to power on the mega torch. This field is not small, it takes 2-3 minutes of good paced walking to cross it but the torch traversed it with ease, I could reasonably clearly make out the trees by my car (not by their silhouette) I swung it over the field and must've been able to illuminate 2/3 to 3/4 of the field from the corner I was in. my grin spread, such illuminating power in something not much bigger than a can of drink. (It's a clone of a Nitecore TM11 (TM=TinyMonster) I've not used it at full dark in an open environment so it was impressive. as I neared the car I wondered about turning it the other way, I shone it back over 3/4 of the length of the field with another field beyond before the telescope but I could clearly make out the arc of light rising and lighting up the ENTIRE STRUCTURE! OMG AMAZEBALLS! ****, what have I done?! Quick, fly you fool! I dashed to the car, threw my stuff in and heard a car approaching fast from my right (where the main entrance to the grounds are) oh crap, it's gonna skid to a halt and I'm going to be made to delete my pictures, can I pull away in time nope, they are on me....
The car whizzed past without even a glance, just another person out late and wanting to get home, my over active mind. Still, I didn't hang around, I got into the car and headed home, content and drained. The same drill again with the images, no time to do anything with them but I've captured them now, they can't change or anything so I'll sort them tomorrow.
Sleep didn't come easy after such an eventful and tense evening but I processed the images and am even more pleased with the results than I expected. Thanks for reading, hope you were at least mildly entertained. Describing a guy standing in a field for long periods in the dark doesn't sound very interesting but the thoughts and the subconscious fears that kick in are entertaining. I hope I relayed them in an entertaining manner :)
TL;DR: I spent my weekend nights stood in a field in the dark fearing everything but got a picture at the end of it.
Below is the final shot resulting from the two nights and around 4 hours milling around the location: (I considered posting the ones that didn't make the cut at the appropriate point in the story but I've owned up to them, it's not like I'm saying I turned up, popped my head out of the car and clicked the shutter. I feel showing them would detract from the end result.
http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2894/9004297539_557c5463f6_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/brettnet/9004297539/)
Lovell Telescope ISS Pass 10/06 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/brettnet/9004297539/) by Brettus - Brettnet.co.uk (http://www.flickr.com/people/brettnet/), on Flickr