Thierry Legault has won today’s partial solar eclipse.
Known for his amazing shots of spacecraft transiting the Sun, today he captured the International Space Station passing in front of the Sun (and Moon)… DURING THE ECLIPSE.
The weather is always fine in Southern Spain…except during eclipse days!” Legault told Universe Today via email. “I had to drive a lot trying to find clear skies, finally the sky was covered with thick high clouds but I got the ISS passing in front of the Moon during the eclipse.”
Amazing!
“Double partial eclipse today!” Legault tweeted. “The Moon and #ISS in front of the Sun, taken from Spain.”
In a previous article on Universe Today, Legault shared how he figures out the best places to travel to from his home near Paris to get the absolute best shots:
“For transits I have to calculate the place, and considering the width of the visibility path is usually between 5-10 kilometers, but I have to be close to the center of this path,” Legault explained, “because if I am at the edge, it is just like a solar eclipse where the transit is shorter and shorter. And the edge of visibility line of the transit lasts very short. So the precision of where I have to be is within one kilometer.”
Legault studies maps, and has a radio synchronized watch to know very accurately when the transit event will happen.
See more wonderful images of the eclipse at our gallery here. And see more of Thierry’s great work at his website.
Thank you Nancy for spoiling us over the years. And the great master Thierry .. 🙂
Thierry Legault, well done. You have given us a photo that demonstrates forethought, commitment and beauty.
And I have to admit, I forgot Future … The ISS has been with us for quite some time, yet its still an image of science and commitment on its own.