Ray Tolomeo Photogallery


With a nod to the late, great Ronnie James Dio, a place for my images caught in time.


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The international Space station





The first components of mankind's largest artificial satellite were launched into space in 1998. It has been continuously occupied since 2020, and its orbit makes it an interesting object to photograph whether transiting the Moon in the shadow or reflecting sunlight as it streaks across the stars.



International Space Station, December 17, 2022



Shot from the Miller Road Park Pier on Lake Erie near Cleveland, Ohio, on a windy October 2, 2022, evening the International Space Station is seen cruising over the NRG Energy Power Plant before disappearing in the Earth's shadow as it approaches Jupiter. This is a composite of 7, 20-second exposures covering a little more than 2 minutes.



International Space Station at Lake Ashby, December 4, 2022



The International Space Station is captured rising from the horizon to the west of Lake Ashby near Warrenton, Virginia, on December 4, 2022. This is a composite of 12, 20-second shots covering about 4 minutes of travel time until it disappears in the Earth's shadow and to the left of the bright star, Vega. This was the second appearance of the Station on this evening. You can see the first sighting on my Instagram account @raytolomeophotography.



International Space Station & Lunar Eclipse over Lake Ashby, November 8, 2022



This composite image image captures about a minute of the International Space Station coming out of the Earth's shadow, moving past Mars, and proceeding out of the frame as the Moon nears its full eclipse as seen over Lake Ashby near Warrenton, Virginia.



International Space Station @ Lake Erie,
October 2, 2022



Shot from the Miller Road Park Pier on Lake Erie near Cleveland, Ohio, on a windy October 2, 2022, evening the International Space Station is seen cruising over the NRG Energy Power Plant before disappearing in the Earth's shadow as it approaches Jupiter. This is a composite of 7, 20-second exposures covering a little more than 2 minutes.



International Space Station in Joshua Tree,
September 18. 2022



The International Space Station is seen moving from left to right crossing the northern sky just below the Big Dipper before disappearing behind the terrain in Joshua Tree National Park in California on September 18, 2022. This is a composite of 9, 30 second exposures covering about 4 1/2 minutes of its travel across the sky.



International Space Station in Joshua Tree,
September 17. 2022



Wasn't sure how this one was gong to turn out. The Station was showing up not long after sunset, so chose to shoot 1/2 second exposures to avoid the bright sky from washing out the reflection. Ended up with well over 300 exposures to stack together to create this image of the more than 3-minute trek across the sky.


International Space Station, July 11, 2022



Took me some time to get this one to work out the way I thought it should be, but.... Four and a half minutes of the ISS trek across the eastern skyline from right to left. This image is comprised of 18, 15-sec exposures as seen from Centreville Sod farm in Bristow, VA, at about 10 pm. The nearly full Moon is just out of the frame to the right and Manassas Airport is to the left brightening the sky.



International Space Station, May 28, 2022



Just after 5 a.m. on April 23, 2020, the International Space Station proceeded right to left through the crescent Moon and over the top of Saturn, Mars, Venus, and Jupiter as seen from The Nokesville School in Nokesville, VA. The image spans about 4 minutes in time and is comprised of 38, 6-second exposures.


International Space Station Passing Thru the Big Dipper, April 27, 2022



Just after 5 a.m. on April 23, 2020, the International Space Station proceeded right to left through the crescent Moon and over the top of Saturn, Mars, Venus, and Jupiter as seen from The Nokesville School in Nokesville, VA. The image spans about 4 minutes in time and is comprised of 38, 6-second exposures.


ISS Passing Thru Moon & Over Saturn, Mars, Venus, Jupiter, April 23, 2022



Just after 5 a.m. on April 23, 2020, the International Space Station proceeded right to left through the crescent Moon and over the top of Saturn, Mars, Venus, and Jupiter as seen from The Nokesville School in Nokesville, VA. The image spans about 4 minutes in time and is comprised of 38, 6-second exposures.


International Space Station, February 5, 2022



Looking to the southeast from the entrance to Sky Meadows State Park in Delaplane, Va., I captured the last 4 minutes of the Station as it passed near the constellation Orion (click here for a labeled version of the image) on its way to the horizon and completed a 10-minute trek across the sky that started from the northwest. This image is a composite of 12, 20-second exposures.



International Space Station Transits the Moon, November 20, 2021



I captured the Station on its half second transits across the nearly full Moon in this 4 image composite as seen from Hanover Courthouse Park, VA.



International Space Station, November 17, 2021



On a 4 minute trek rising from the south-west horizon, the International Space Station as seen moving right to left from Parkgate Drive in Nokesville, Va. This 14 image composite captures it passing by Venus (lighting up the cloud in the bottom right), Saturn (in the cloud, Center), and Jupiter (brightest object) before disappearing in the Earth's shadow. The clouds and ground were being illuminated by the nearly full Moon that was out of the image to the left.



International Space Station, September 19, 2021



It's not terribly often that you get back to back really good viewing days! In this 2 1/2 minute composite, the International Space Station transits from below the North Star, Polaris (brightest star on the left in the upper part of the image) before disappearing in the Earth's shadow soon after passing just below the star, Mirfak, as seen from Lake Ashby.


International Space Station, September 18, 2021



In this 2 1/2 minute composite, the International Space Station transits from left to right, through the Big Dipper and then disapears in the Earth's shadow as seen from the dam at Lake Ashby near Warrenton, VA.


International Space Station, August 2, 2021



Managed to get the equatorial tracker working correctly for this 2-minute exposure of the Station as seen moving right to left (from the west to the south) before fading into the Earth's shadow at the bright star, Antares, at the head of Scorpius. Shot was taken from a ball field at the Wakefield School in The Plains, VA. Click here for a labeled version of the image.


International Space Station, July 12, 2021



Rising out of the southwestern horizon, passing through the eastern most stars of Libra and just to the west of the claws of Scorpious, and exiting overhead to the east, this is a composite of 6 shots covering a span of about 3 minutes as viewed from Hazelwood Drive in Nokesville, Va.



International Space Station, May 31, 2021



Rising from beyond the horizon to the west-northwest, passing over Mars (the first bright object to the lower left of its trek) and Regulus (the brightest object very close to the trek about 2/3 up), reflecting more sunlight and heading to the south as viewed from the dam at Lake Ashby near Warrenton, VA. This is a composite image covering about 4 minutes before the Station moves out of view and disappears into the Earth's shadow.



International Space Station, May 30, 2021



Shot just after sunset while looking to the east from behind The Nokesville School in Nokesville, VA. This is a composite of 5, 30-second shots as the Station makes its trek from the northwest, passing over the bright star, Vega, in the center of the image and fading over the horizon approaching the binary star system 72 Ophiuchi. I think the moving clouds added a nice dimension to the scene.



International Space Station, Horst Farm Market, March 27, 2021



So, it was a little bit of a trek in the middle of the night and into the early morning to a very comfortable parking spot at Horst Farm Market in East Earl, PA, but there is not another Station transit of the Moon "nearby" for at least the next month. And with the Station at a relatively close distance of 480 km above the ground, I thought it was worth it. See what you think. Total transit time was less than .7 seconds, so very happy that I got five shots from which to compose this image.



International Space Station, Manassas Battlefield, March 20, 2021



This 2 1/2 minute composite tracks the Station as it enters the frame from the left in the constellation Cassiopeia thru the body of Draco before disappearing over the horizon with the Big Dipper looking on in the upper right and the 14th Brooklyn Monument of the Manassas Battlefield in the foreground.


International Space Station, February 5, 2021



Looking to the south from Hazelwood Dr in Nokesville, Va, with the constellation Orion in the upper left corner of the frame, the Station enters from the right and concludes its trek across the early night sky, disappearing into the Earth's shadow. This is a composite of five images, totaling about the last 2 minutes of the Stations lighted trek.



International Space Station, January 19, 2021



Shot looking to the east from The Nokesville School just after sunset, last 2 1/2 minutes of its 6+ min trek across the sky. Enters the frame at the top just below the constellation Taurus, flies over the top of Orion, and exits between the heads of Gemini.



International Space Station, January 9, 2021



Shot in the early morning from my favorite spot on Hazelwood Dr., Nokesville, this is a composite photo comprising about 2 minutes of the Station's trek toward the southern horizon and the Moon, with the red giant star, Arcturus, at the top of the image.



International Space Station, Dec 19, 2020



Rising out of the southeast and heading toward the northeast just before sunrise, the Station caught and reflected a bright glint of sunlight on its trek. This 75 second composite was shot from Hazelwood Dr in Nokesville, VA. The star, Spica, is in the upper left corner of the frame.



International Space Station, December 8, 2020.



Crossing a busy sky as viewed Hazelwood Dr, Nokesville, VA. This is a composite totaling 100 seconds of the Station's trek from west to east (right to left) looking to the south. Hope the labeling on this one helps.



International Space Station, December 6, 2020



Rising from the horizon as viewed from the dam at Lake Ashby near Warrenton, VA., before fading into Earth's shadow.


International Space Station, Nov 28, 2020.



A beautiful clear evening, shooting from a very comfortable spot at the pavilion of Baltimore County Cox's Point Park, and the Station "only" 475 km away, resulted in this composite image.



International Space Station, Nov 20, 2020.



Rising out of the southwest and transiting nearly vertical across the sky disappearing into the Earth's shadow to the north east, this shot from the graveyard of Oak Dale Church in Greenwich, VA, is the last 1'15" of its visible trek.



International Space Station, Nov 7, 2020.



Taken from behind The Nokesville School, this early morning composite shot covering 2 1/2 minutes of the Station moving from left to right aiming for Mercury that was just rising above the horizon.



International Space Station, Nov 2, 2020



Shot in the god-awful early morning on what happened to be the 20th anniversary of humans continuously occupying the Station, the shots comprising this image were taken from Shiloh Baptist Church near Williamsburg, Va. Total transit time across the Moon was about half a second.



International Space Station, October 24, 2020



This is a 2-minute exposure as the Station races past the Big Dipper toward the horizon and approaching sunrise. Shot from Sowego Rd near Catelett, Va.



International Space Station, October 7, 2020



This 1 1/2 minute composite was taken about 8 pm from Sowego Rd, Catlett, VA. The wildly bright Station was moving from west to east (right to left) as it raced above Jupiter and Saturn.



International Space Station, October 6, 2020



This 1 1/2 minute composite was taken from the Wakefield School in The Plains, VA. The Station was moving from west to east across the southern sky, appearing to disappear into the Milky Way. Jupiter and Saturn "watching" from the other side of the divide.



International Space Station, September 30, 2020



My first attempt at capturing the Station transiting the Moon. This was shot from the Mall in Washington, DC. One of the images that make up this composite was chosen as an Editor's Choice in the Aviation Week and Space Technology 2020 photo context.



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Ray Tolomeo Photogallery



Bristow, Virginia


All Images on this site are copyrighted by Raymond Tolomeo