This evening I photographed the International Space Station streaking through the constellation of Cancer (my zodiacal sign, as it happens). The two lighter streaks to the left are airplanes.
The sighting lasted only about 3 minutes: look how much it moved during a 15-second exposure! But for those few minutes, with the sunlight glinting off its solar arrays, it was the brightest "star" in the sky.
This was my first attempt at photographing the ISS. Next time I want to try and capture a longer streak (with a longer exposure), and maybe have some interesting object in the foreground – not just a Cambridgeshire meadow.
If you're interested in spotting the ISS, NASA has a helpful page. Spotting – and especially photographing – the ISS requires a bit of planning, but it's fun. And of course, standing around in the cold setting up the shot helps build character.
