Incredible Photo Captures ISS Gliding Across Full Moon
(CBS SF) -- A photo of the International Space Station passing in front of a dazzling full moon could put Lucas Films' special effects to shame.
Australian photographer Dylan O'Donnell spent 12 months waiting for the perfect moment when the ISS would enter the same frame as a full moon.
He timed the event using NASA's "Spot The Station" application, which he explains more on his blog.
"The CalSky website sends me alerts for potential fly overs for which I've been waiting a long time – about 12 months. I got one this week and this was adjusted by 15 seconds by the time of the 'occultation'.
If you think that it might be a case of sitting there with your camera and a clock, with one hand on the shutter release, you'd be absolutely correct! The ISS only passed over the moon for 0.33 seconds as it shoots by quite quickly. Knowing the second it would pass I fired a "burst" mode of exposures then crossed my fingers and hoped it would show up in review – and it did!"
O'Donnell used a Canon 70D attached to a Celestron 9.25″ telescope. The photograph was snapped with a quick shutter speed of 1/1650th of a second and ISO 800 in order to freeze the ISS in motion.
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He stacked a longer exposed photograph on top and increased the color saturation to bring out the moon's features. However the array colors mostly relate to the chemical composition of the moon, he noted.
Here's a close up clearly showing the modules and the solar arrays on the space station.
