Last Minute ISS Shot

I haven't taken the telescope out much recently, and with 20 minutes to spare I realized the ISS was going overhead with an 83 degree pass. Weather was very hazy but I figured, let's give it a shot.

I set up the telescope in record time. Collimation, align the guide scope, connect the camera, focus with the bhatinov mask, put in the appropriate camera settings (.5ms shutter and 410 gain). Right when I finished the ISS rose over the horizon.

The haziness threw off my settings a bit, and I should have raised the gain to compensate. My photos ended up being too dark, though my focus was excellent.

Normal workflow: PIPP to break video into PNG files, autostakkert fit stacking, registax fit wavelet sharpening, and some brightness adjustments on my phone.

It's not winning any awards but it's always fun to see the ISS in real life. Right now there are 9 people in that photo!