day time ISS attempt (Blue Mountains)

I just tried a day time observation of the International Space Station.

The challenge was seeing (and recording) anything with the MallinCam. I had the camera hooked up and ready to go. Shutter speed to 12000. But I didn't know if the alignment was good, if the focus was good, if any other camera settings would have been necessary. I was hoping the alignment and focus would be OK. I hadn't touched them from the day before...

Once again, the RASC Toronto Centre's Paramount ME worked flawlessly. It tracked the ISS well. I know this because I could see it in the small finder scope!

It started off a point of light. But as it rose in the sky, and got into the darker blue of the sky, and as it drew closer, I could see some shape or shapes: initially it seemed a white line with a bulge in the middle; later it seemed rectangular. Actually, two white rectangles overlapping and offset.

The station is challenging to see against the blue sky. Dietmar looked through the finder and he couldn't see it.

While Dietmar was at the eyepiece, I tried—using the tubes as pointers—to spot it naked eye. Ha. No.

We don't know the magnification of the finder but it's probably around 8 or 10 times.

So, back to the drawing board...