TIME Science space travel

See an Extraordinary Photo of the International Space Station Passing Over the Moon

This image of the Moon was taken by amateur photographer Dylan O’Donnell as the International Space Station passed by at 28 800 km/h. At such speeds the weightless research laboratory was visible for only about a third of a second before returning to the dark skies.
Dylan O’Donnell This image of the Moon was taken by amateur photographer Dylan O’Donnell as the International Space Station passed by at 28 800 km/h. At such speeds the weightless research laboratory was visible for only about a third of a second before returning to the dark skies.

The ISS moves so fast it's only visible for one-third of a second

Amateur photographer Dylan O’Donnell has captured a stunning image of the International Space Station (ISS) flying by the Moon.

The photo, shared on Tuesday by the European Space Agency (ESA), was taken on June 30 with a Canon 70D camera placed behind a 2300 mm / f10 telescope, O’Donnell wrote on his website. The shutter speed was set at 1/1650th of a second, allowing him to capture the one-third second long moment during which the ISS — which orbits Earth at 28,000 km per hour (17,400 mph) — transits across the Moon.

“I take many types of pictures but the International Space Station is a wonderful target and one I’ve wanted to capture for a long time,” O’Donnell said in a statement.

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