Todays Shuttle Launch

[gary71]

By a chance of timing I happened to be in Florida for the shuttle launch! I thought I'd share my efforts to capture it with the group! If you want a decent close up I'd recommend the NASA site;) The jpg conversion has added some nasty banding to the sky that's not there in the original. Any tips on how to minimise this when compressing?

If you are anywhere near being able to go for the last three launches coming up I can't recommend it enough. An awe inspiring experience

Just for effect Nasa timed the launch 3 minutes before sunrise and 10 minutes after the space station itself went over head. You could clearly see it due to the lack of ambient light and the gathering of space nerds pointing at it.

The pics: 30secs / f10 / ISO200 Nikon D300s Sigma 10-20mm







It also left behind some amazing cloud shapes for the sunrise light to play across, weirdly enough in the shape of a phoenix!

Edited by gary71 on Tuesday 6th April 03:11

[Dr MAD]

Lovely shots. Very refreshing to see something a little different from the usual NASA ones! Love the way the light plays on the water in the first one

I was in Disney back in '92, on my honeymoon, when the Shuttle was launched to repair the Hubble. Everyone stopped and looked skywards for a few minutes and then carried on with whatever they were doing. Spent the rest of the honeymoon in the bedroom..... watching live coverage from space of the repair on Hubble as it was carried out