Stunning photo captures space station crossing the moon in jaw-dropping detail

[demmiblue]

Thierry Legault pointed his camera up at the night sky and waited for the International Space Station to cross in front of the moon.

Then, like a water strider on a pond, the Earth-orbiting laboratory skated over the pool of lunar light. He had a half-second to get the shot. Click.

Legault caught a spectacular picture of the spaceship on Jan. 18, with the crusty, mottled moon in full form behind it. The silhouette of the space station is so clear, observers can make out a faint grid pattern on its solar panel arrays. The attached SpaceX Crew-3 spacecraft, which brought up NASA astronauts Raja Chari, Tom Marshburn, and Kayla Barron, as well as European Space Agency astronaut Matthias Maurer in November, is easily identifiable.

The image is among the most detailed snapshots ever taken of the space station passing in front of the moon. Astronomers refer to such an event as a "lunar transit." Bill Ingalls, senior contract photographer for NASA headquarters, was so impressed, he retweeted it.

https://mashable.com/article/space-station-moon-transit-photo

[panader0]

1. "He had a half-second to take the shot." Wow!

[trusty elf]

2. Fantastic photo!

[Stuart G]

3. Incredible ....Thank You for Posting this...Great Picture

[jaxexpat]

4. Thanks for the new desktop background!

It isn't every day one gets to see the French invading the moon. Not since the Jules Verne expedition filmed live by Tom Hanks, if I recall correctly.

[mnhtnbb]

5. Love it! Thanks for posting.

[Lonestarblue]

6. What an amazing photo!

[skydive forever]

7. Hey! I put that there.

Built the solid rocket boosters and external tank for all but about 10 Space Shuttle flights. A wonderful career.

[rhiannon55]

9. How cool is that?

[3Hotdogs]

10. Neat.

My mom was proud, she made a very, verry small part that wen into the first nuclear submarine, Nautilus. The sub is now a museum in New London, Ct. and I guess her contribution is still there.... somewhere - maybe 15' 2' from the steering wheel.

[3Hotdogs]

11. Neat.

My mom was proud, she made a very, verry small part that wen into the first nuclear submarine, Nautilus. The sub is now a museum in New London, Ct. and I guess her contribution is still there.... somewhere - maybe 15' 2' from the steering wheel. Or maybe it's ...

[Delphinus]

12. Oh my ...

I bet it was a wonderful career!! Thanks for what you did - hope you are enjoying retirement.

[colorado_ufo]

8. The shot of a lifetime!

Stunning!

[niyad]

13. Amazing. Thank you for sharing.

[question everything]

14. Breathtaking!

[Tanuki]

15. Call home!

[crickets]

16. That's an amazing shot. Beautiful. nt