Stunning photos capture the moment the ISS passes in front of both the moon and the sun



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Stunning photos capture the fleeting moment as the ISS passes in front of the sun and moon during its 17,000 mph orbit

  • Photographer Andrew McCarthy from California posted the photos on his Instagram account
  • They were caught a few days apart as the ISS passed in front of the moon and then the sun
  • Mr. McCarthy says the shots were extremely challenging as the ISS and background lined up very briefly

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A series of stunning images captures the moment when the International Space Nation (ISS) passed in front of the Sun and the moon in stunning detail.

The photos, taken within days of each other, were captured in space of less than a second, as the space station could clearly fly across the sky with its spectacular celestial backdrops.

Once every 90 minutes the ISS, which is about 250 miles from Earth, completes an orbit of our planet at a speed of about 17,000 miles per hour.

Photographer Andrew McCarthy from California said the photo of the ISS facing the sun in broad daylight was “one of my most complicated shots ever”.

Sharing the photo on his Instagram page, @cosmic_background, Mr. McCarthy wrote: 'For less than a second, the sun aligned with the ISS and my backyard.

Sharing the photo on his Instagram page, @cosmic_background, Mr. McCarthy wrote: ‘For less than a second, the sun aligned with the ISS and my backyard. “This recovery is the result of planning, timing and equipment”

A series of extraordinary images captures the moment when the International Space Nation (ISS) passes in front of the Sun and the Moon

A series of extraordinary images capture the moment when the International Space Nation (ISS) passes in front of the Sun and the Moon

Sharing the photo on his Instagram page, @cosmic_background, Mr. McCarthy wrote: ‘For less than a second, the sun aligned with the ISS and my backyard.

‘This recovery is the result of planning, timing and equipment.

‘I used two telescopes with the cameras, one with a white light filter for ISS detail and a solar telescope for surface detail.

“I was able to freeze a moment when the station was close to some interesting prominences, so I aligned and merged the final images to get the perfect composition.”

Photographer Andrew McCarthy from California said the photo of the ISS facing the sun in broad daylight was

Photographer Andrew McCarthy from California said the photo of the ISS facing the sun in broad daylight was “one of my most complicated shots ever.”

A few days after photographing the ISS facing the sun, McCarthy was lucky enough to spot the ISS again, this time, traversing a tiny crescent moon in the night sky.  He wrote on Instagram:

A few days after photographing the ISS facing the sun, Mr. McCarthy was lucky enough to spot the ISS again – this time, crossing a small crescent moon in the night sky. He wrote on Instagram: “There is nothing more beautiful than this”

The photos, taken within days of each other, were captured in space of less than a second, as the space station could clearly be seen zooming into the bright background of the moon and sun.

The photos, taken within days of each other, were captured in space of less than a second, as the space station could clearly be seen zooming into the bright background of the moon and sun.

And a few days later, Mr. McCarthy was lucky enough to spot the ISS again, this time, crawling on a small crescent moon in the night sky.

He wrote on Instagram: ‘There is nothing more beautiful than this.

I spent hours searching for the right place, hoping to capture something I had never seen before: the ISS passing by on a razor-thin crescent moon.

“Something about how the illuminated ISS straddles the crescent gives a sense of depth that I hadn’t yet been able to capture in my previous transit shots.”

The ISS, the orbiting laboratory that recently celebrated 20 years of human settlement, completes a trip around the Earth every 90 minutes at a speed of approximately 17,130 mph.

EXPLANATION: THE $ 100 BILLION INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION IS 250 MILES ABOVE THE EARTH

The International Space Station (ISS) is a $ 100 billion (£ 80 billion) science and engineering laboratory orbiting 400 kilometers above the Earth.

It has been permanently made up of rotating crews of astronauts and cosmonauts since November 2000.

Research conducted aboard the ISS often requires one or more of the unusual conditions found in low Earth orbit, such as low gravity or oxygen.

ISS studies have studied human research, space medicine, life sciences, physical sciences, astronomy and meteorology.

The US space agency, NASA, spends around $ 3 billion (£ 2.4 billion) annually on the space station program, a level of funding approved by the Trump administration and Congress.

A U.S. House of Representatives committee that oversees NASA has begun to consider whether to extend the program beyond 2024.

Alternatively, the money could be used to accelerate planned human space initiatives on the Moon and Mars.

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