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SYFY WIRE Bad Astronomy

Trailing Endeavour

By Phil Plait
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In the early morning of Oct. 13, 2012, photographer Eric Norris ventured to the intersection of Manchester Blvd. and Inglewood Ave. in Los Angeles to capture a once-in-a-lifetime shot: the stars over the tail and wing of the Space Shuttle Orbiter Endeavour:

What an outstanding photo! [Click to enlaunchenate.]

Endeavour was on its way to its final resting place, the California Science Center, when Norris took this lovely shot, which is actually a composite of over a hundred separate pictures. He has details on how he created it on his Flickr page. He also witnessed a launch from a few miles away some years earlier, which makes for a nice story.

So, recognize those stars to the upper right? Star trails can make it a bit confusing, but I bet if you hunt for the answer you'll figure it out.

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