introduce you to my blogging and life 
The first round was quite a success. The pictures by French astrophotographer Thierry Legault of the space shuttle Atlantis transiting in front of the sun on its orbit to rendez-vous with Hubble are now all over the internet.
Inspired by such beauty and motivated by his talent, I decided to attempt my own experiment with the shuttle’s sun transit. My gear is nowhere close to his, but I figured that ingeniousness and creativity would compensate.
With transit times shorter than a second, the smallest mistake in setting up the shot can mean disaster. The camera must be able to shoot at its maximum speed, there’s no time to look through the viewfinder and the lens must imperatively be protected by the strongest filter. And the main problem for me was coming up with positioning calculations that would allow for a decent chance of success.
I must admit I didn’t get quite the expected results and completely missed the shuttle. However, I guess I was blessed with beginner’s luck because I managed to catch another object orbiting the Earth!
Below is the original shot from Mr. Legault, for comparison. I aimed exactly as he did. Click on the image to view a cropping of my own image taken yesterday - not sure what went wrong, it should’ve caught the shuttle. WTF mate?
And for the real deal, make sure to visit Legault’s web site.
« All right; so that things are clear, I admit couldn’t resist the temptation of a little spoof, it seemed so perfect. BUT: I have tremendous respect for the work of Thierry Legault and have re-posted the link to his web site, hoping that everybody will go visit it. His shots are truly amazing. It goes to show what incredible work can sometimes be achieved by individuals with knowledge, talent and passion, and without much more than ordinary gear. Sort of. »
Date of comment: 2009-05-20 13:03 •« I am so confused. »
Date of comment: 2009-05-20 15:04 •« « There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy. » ~ Hamlet
Date of comment: 2009-05-20 15:30 •Looks like he knew something huh? »
« Marie: Confused? Why? Haven’t you phoned home?
Date of comment: 2009-05-20 16:33 •Sigrid: Was it a Shy Hamlet or the elusive Indigo Hamlet? »
« Oh..............................................................^^ »
Date of comment: 2009-05-20 17:32 •« I was going to quote Shakespeare...I was also going to say « smart-arse! »
»
Date of comment: 2009-05-20 21:09 •But, for the link to Legault, you are excused
« Well, you would’ve been right, but hey, can’t a blogger have a little fun? »
Date of comment: 2009-05-21 13:32 •