A US-based astrophotographer has captured the International Space Station zooming past the Moon. What makes this photo more interesting is the fact that it was shot during the day when it’s nearly impossible to shoot the Moon due to Sun’s intense glare.

The image shows a small ISS passing by the sheer size of the Moon. The photographer called Andrew McCarthy is based out of California’s capital Sacramento posted the image on his Instagram and Twitter handles. He also shared a time-lapse video alongside the photos.

The caption read: “The transit against the lit portion of the moon lasted just a few hundredths of a second, shown here in a video slowed down roughly 6x.”

Tools used to capture cosmos

The photographer also has a Patreon page where he describes himself as a person who wants to shoot “our skies in a way that hasn’t been done before.” He hopes to inspire people across the globe to take up astrophotography. His comments section is bombarded with many asking for his help to enrich their knowledge of his art.

Andrew’s Instagram is flooded with images of the cosmos he has shot using a range of equipment, some of which are expensive, while some are regular tools, including his iPhone.

When and how to spot the ISS?

The International Space Station (ISS) flies at an altitude of 400 kilometers above Earth. It completes a full circle every 90 minutes. In a day, the ISS covers a distance that is twice the distance between the Earth and the Moon.

The space laboratory was constructed between 1998 and 2011. Ever since, scientists have stayed aboard for long durations, performing experiments and maintenance. The space station has been showing signs of aging, with occasional leaks and cracked windows.

In December 2020, the US Congress passed a NASA authorization bill that will extend the life of the ISS from 2024 to 2030, despite its degrading condition. There might soon be more missions to make the space station more durable.