Stunning photo captures space station crossing the moon in jaw-dropping detail

The International Space Station was going to cross in front of the moon, but a man pointed his camera up at the night sky.

Then, like a water strider on a pond, the Earth-orbiting laboratory went over the pool of lunar light. He had a short time to get the shot. Click.

A picture of the spaceship was taken by Legault on January 18. Observers can see a faint grid pattern on the space station's solar panel array. The attached Crew 3 spaceship, which brought up five astronauts, is easily identifiable.

The space station passing in front of the moon is among the most detailed snapshots ever taken. Bill Ingalls, senior contract photographer for NASA headquarters, was so impressed by the event that he retweeted it.

There is a lot of excitement, a bit like a total eclipse, waiting, preparing, waiting for the moment, according to Legault. It's so fast that you don't see it.

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Legault lives in the suburbs of Paris, close to Versailles. The city lights make it hard to see the universe.

Legault traveled alone to a remote spot in the countryside of Bourges, France, to take a moon picture. He was worried about the weather because it was foggy. He spent a half-hour looking for the right place to set up his gear.

The fog parted just as the spaceship was about to pass overhead.

He started his video camera about 10 to 15 seconds before the crossing. Legault uses the space station transit- finder.com to calculate time and place.

He didn't know if he captured the shot until he looked at hundreds of frames taken with his telescope. He said the exposure time was 1/6,000th of a second. The spacecraft would have been blurred. It flies at about 17,000 mph.

The anticipation was unbearable as he waited for his computer. As he looked through the images, he saw that the station and the moon were still sharp, even though the moon is 1000 times farther away.

Chris Hadfield, a former Canadian Astronaut, was interested in the photo of the Tycho crater.

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Ingalls, who has taken space station lunar transit pictures of his own, said he enjoyed reading Legault's photo backstory, as rich in detail as the photo. Legault's location, equipment, and technique were shared to allow people to understand his process.

He said the photo is clear and sharp.

The New Atlas of the Moon with Serge Brunier, Astrophotographie and Les Secrets de l'Astrophotographie were written by Legault. Legault had to expand his portfolio when he decided to only use his own photography in his first book.

There were solar and lunar transits of the space station. Every October through February, he shoots his first shot, and has continued ever since.

He said this was his best session.

Astrophotographer Thierry Legault captured the International Space Station making a lunar transit on Jan.18, 2022. Credit: Thierry Legault

There were a few skeptics on social media when Legault posted his photo. They didn't think its authenticity was legit.

A person identified as Gregory Santoni said he was trying to digest how you did it. The best money you have ever spent.

Legault replied that he did it so it could be done.

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The naysayers can be hard to believe.

It's like people who don't believe that man went on the moon. He said it was disappointing because he made a lot of efforts to succeed. I prefer to take it in a positive way.

The space station is the largest in its class and has an acre of solar panels to power it, reflecting light from the sun. It is often visible in the night sky. You can find out when and how to see the space station using online tools.