Photos: Spotting Satellites & Spaceships from Earth

Curved Air

An ISS flare photographed as the space station passed over the town Nydek in the Czech Republic.

We All Shine On

An ISS flare, caused by sunlight reflecting off the solar panels of the space station, was captured by amateur astronomer Mike Tyrell as it passed over England.

Don't Pass Me By

Skywatcher Ed Morana routinely hunts for the International Space Station as it passes in front of the Moon. This multiple image was assembled from images he took of the ISS passing in front of the Moon on Feb. 13, 2006.

Satellite's Gone

Debris from the shot-down spy satellite USA 193 was visible from Maui, Hawaii.

There's Always Someone Looking At You

This image is a still from a short video produced by Greg Roberts of the U.S. secret satellite DSP-F23 (bright dot at bottom) as it approached the ASTRA 1 constellation group.

Crackin' Up

Two NASA chase planes captured the European ATV space cargo ship breaking up in the atmosphere upon successful reentry and completion of the mission.

Blaze of Glory

This is one of the first images taken by the DC-8 aircraft which observed the re-entry of Jules Verne ATV over the Pacific Ocean.

ISS Over West Chester, Pennsylvania, August 2011

Photographer Jeff Berkes caught the International Space Station over West Chester, Pennsylvania, on August 13, 2011.

Phobos-Grunt Captured in Video

The failed Russian mission to one of Mars' small moons was captured by Thierry Legault and Emmanuel Rietsch (http://legault.perso.sfr.fr) on video, New Year's Day 2012.