International Space Station, Lyra and Cygnus

As it passes overhead in the night sky, the International Space Station (ISS) appears to the naked eye to be a slowly-moving, fairly bright star. In a long-exposure photograph like this one, the ISS appears as a bright streak. In this photo, the ISS passes the constellations of Lyra (top center, with its bright star Vega) and Cygnus (bottom, with the ISS passing just below its bright star Deneb).

To learn when the ISS will be visible from your location, visit the Heavens Above web site.

Location: Phoenix, Arizona.
Date: September 9, 2004.
Time: 8:01 p.m. MST.
Camera: Olympus OM-1 35mm SLR on fixed tripod.
Film: Fuji Provia 100F slide.
Focal length: 40 mm.
Aperture: f/2.8.
Exposure time: 30 seconds.
Scanner: Nikon Coolscan LS-2000.