Many of you will be familiar with the 2-dimensional Mandelbrot set – the most common fractal.  However, it was not until recently that a 3-dimensional analogue was created after many years of blood sweat and tears.

This incredible object is the 3-D Mandelbulb and like the Mandelbrot set you can zoom into this structure to discover new and exciting “worlds”.

The Roman surface:

I had watched the earlier 9:04 p.m. crossing of the ISS and this lasted nearly 5-minutes at almost the same elevation as the 10:39 p.m. crossing.  So why was the 9:04 p.m. crossing 5-minutes long and the 10:39 p.m. crossing only 3-minutes long?  The accompanying image tells the story.  At 10:39 p.m. the Sun has set further, so the ISS is illuminated for less of its course across the sky.  As you can see in the image – it barely makes Ursa Major before its lights out – fascinating!

Managed to image the ISS last night, but somehow completely missed Progress 41P – probably due to all the thin high cloud.

Passing almost directly overhead (83 degees) on 22nd April 2011 were the automated Russian cargo vehicle Progress 41P and the International Space Station.  Progress 41P first appeared in the West at 9:48 p.m. followed just one minute later by the International Space Station (ISS).  Both disappeared from view in the ENE at an elevation of 25 degrees.  In this image both tracks are overlaid as they were both in the same orbit.  It was a fantastic sight with just a layer of thin high cloud preventing perfection (and preventing me from imaging).