Space Station Silhouette on the Moon
Image Credit & Copyright:
Eric Holland
What's that unusual spot on the Moon?
It's the
International Space Station.
Using precise timing, the
Earth-orbiting space platform
was photographed in front of a partially lit
gibbous Moon in 2019.
The featured image was taken from
Palo Alto,
California,
USA with an exposure time of only
1/667 of a second.
In contrast, the duration of the transit of the
ISS across the entire Moon was about
half a second.
A close inspection of this unusually
crisp ISS silhouette
will reveal the outlines of
numerous solar panels and trusses.
The bright
crater Tycho is visible on the lower left,
as well as comparatively rough,
light colored terrain known as
highlands and relatively smooth, dark colored areas known as
maria.
Downloadable
apps can tell you when the
International Space Station will be visible from your area.