Lunar observation from ISS

[brellis]

Have any significant lunar observations been made from LEO? Is more detail available from 200 miles out of the earth's atmosphere? How often does ISS eclipse the moon? Can it see its own shadow pass across the lunar surface? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font size="2" color="#ff0000"><em><strong>I'm a recovering optimist - things could be better.</strong></em></font> </p> </div>

 

[brellis]

Here's a 2001 transcript of a telescopic observation of ISS passing in front of the moon as seen from earth. Here's a sequence of pics of an ISS transit. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font size="2" color="#ff0000"><em><strong>I'm a recovering optimist - things could be better.</strong></em></font> </p> </div>

 

[qso1]

I know of no official observations of the moon from ISS but I can imagine the crew taking their own photos etc. The moon would be sharper and clearer from the viewing altitude at 200 miles above earth but no significant change in size. Definetely no noticeable change in size to a human eye.<br /><br />ISS would technically eclipse the moon during lunar eclipses. In addition, ISS would have to be in the right place, earths limb, to cast a shadow on the moon. I'm not 100% certain but I think its shadow would probably become too diffuse to be visible crossing the lunar surface due to ISS small size and large distance.<br /><br />Lunar observations would be a little limited from ISS. As on earth, the best observations would be when the moon is partially or fully visible and ISS would not always be in a position to see the moon. Even when it is, it would be about 45 minutes per orbit. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong>My borrowed quote for the time being:</strong></p><p><em>There are three kinds of people in life. Those who make it happen, those who watch it happen...and those who do not know what happened.</em></p> </div>

 

[qso1]

Excellent image of ISS passing in front of the moon. A couple months ago a similar image of ISS and the shuttle passing in front of the sun was made. This may be from the person who took the other image. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong>My borrowed quote for the time being:</strong></p><p><em>There are three kinds of people in life. Those who make it happen, those who watch it happen...and those who do not know what happened.</em></p> </div>

 

[brellis]

Thanks all for the eddication! I was looking for the right word -- <i>diffuse</i>. What makes ISS's shadow diffuse in the near-vacuum of space between it and the moon? Is there enough dust floating around to do that? Or, is it reflected light on the lunar surface? Methinks it'd be the latter. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font size="2" color="#ff0000"><em><strong>I'm a recovering optimist - things could be better.</strong></em></font> </p> </div>

 

[MeteorWayne]

What s_g said. the sun is about half a degree wide at the earth's orbit. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[3488]

Hi shuttle-guy.<br /><br />Yes thats true. If the sun was as bright, but as a point source, than the shadow of<br />ISS would remain sharp for a much greater distance.<br /><br />As the solar disk from Earth orbit is approx half a degree, as soon as any part of the<br />eclipsing ISS gets smaller than that, direct sunlight will appear.<br /><br />I saw something interesting once that shadows on Pluto, Triton, Eris, etc<br />will be especially sharp due to the Sun's tiny diameter that far out<br />(despite the sun appearing so much fainter).<br /><br />From the Moon, I would expect the ISS to look so small, that one would require a <br />fairly powerful telescope to see it.<br /><br />Andrew Brown. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080">"I suddenly noticed an anomaly to the left of Io, just off the rim of that world. It was extremely large with respect to the overall size of Io and crescent shaped. It seemed unbelievable that something that big had not been visible before".</font> <em><strong><font color="#000000">Linda Morabito </font></strong><font color="#800000">on discovering that the Jupiter moon Io was volcanically active. Friday 9th March 1979.</font></em></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://www.launchphotography.com/</font><br /><br /><font size="1" color="#000080">http://anthmartian.googlepages.com/thisislandearth</font></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://web.me.com/meridianijournal</font></p> </div>

 

[brellis]

Ahh, now I'm getting waaay informed! Thanks's agains!<br /><br />-b <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font size="2" color="#ff0000"><em><strong>I'm a recovering optimist - things could be better.</strong></em></font> </p> </div>

 

[3488]

Hi shuttle_guy & brellis.<br /><br />I did this a while back on another thread Appearance of Sun from elsewhere.<br /><br />it took ages to do, but shows how big & bright the sun appears from other solar system bodies<br />on a very specific date.<br /><br />Even in the Kuiper Belt, the sun is still many times brighter than the Full Moon,<br />but looks so incredibly small. The shadows will be very dark & deep indeed.<br /><br />Andrew Brown. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080">"I suddenly noticed an anomaly to the left of Io, just off the rim of that world. It was extremely large with respect to the overall size of Io and crescent shaped. It seemed unbelievable that something that big had not been visible before".</font> <em><strong><font color="#000000">Linda Morabito </font></strong><font color="#800000">on discovering that the Jupiter moon Io was volcanically active. Friday 9th March 1979.</font></em></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://www.launchphotography.com/</font><br /><br /><font size="1" color="#000080">http://anthmartian.googlepages.com/thisislandearth</font></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://web.me.com/meridianijournal</font></p> </div>

 

[qso1]

Excellent, thanks for the link. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong>My borrowed quote for the time being:</strong></p><p><em>There are three kinds of people in life. Those who make it happen, those who watch it happen...and those who do not know what happened.</em></p> </div>