Photobomb! The ISS sneaks in front of the eclipse

Check out photos of the International Space Station passing in front of the Sun as the Moon moves in
iss eclipse Can you see it? That's the International Space Station, with six crew members on board, zooming in front of the eclipse. (NASA/Joel Kowsky)


So did you all see the eclipse yesterday? (Safely, we hope!)

We were watching and it left us pretty speechless. Not only is that something you literally do not see everyday, it is also one of those rare moments that you feel the solar system in action.

eclipse closing in

Almost there...the Moon closes in on its total eclipse of the Sun over Madras, Oregon. (NASA)

High above our atmosphere, the planets and moons and asteroids are all moving around each other and our Sun. And there it was for all to see. Not to mention all of the cute little crescents it left everywhere!

Crescent eclipse

If it was shining through an object with pinholes in its surface, the eclipse left little crescents everywhere. (NASA)

And, if you had a little luck, a lot of patience, and the right equipment, you could see something else up there dancing with the stars...the International Space Station (ISS).

Best. Photobomb. Ever.

eclipse iss transit

"Wheee!" Six frames show the ISS as it moved across the eclipse. (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

Though it was a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment in real time, a NASA photographer was at the ready with a high-speed camera. Joel Kowsky is a photo editor at the space agency and was stationed in Wyoming to see the eclipse. His camera shot at 1500 frames per second—the perfect speed to capture the ISS, a football field-sized object 400 kilometres (250 miles) up, traveling 28,000 km/h (17,500 mph).

If you want to watch it in motion, check out this video below! (It's tiny and moving from right to left, but it's there!)


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