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A photographer captured a remarkable scene of the International Space Station against the backdrop of the moon as the astronauts prepared for a spacewalk.
The space science lab has been reoriented to allow astronauts Kate Robins and Victor Glover to step out and prepare the solar panels for future upgrades.
Astronomer Andrew McCarthy captured the image of the station, orbiting 400 km above Earth, while it was on the side of a road in Sacramento, California.
McCarthy said that rare snapshot of the station, which he took at around 10:44 a.m. GMT on Monday, “instantly became one of my favorite shots.”
What made this image so remarkable was the orientation of the International Space Station as it was captured and the precision of McCarthy’s capture of the space lab as he passed through Copernicus Crater on the moon, before it disappears.
This lunar impact crater can be seen using binoculars oriented slightly northwest of the center of the hemisphere facing the moon.
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Solar panels, which are generally flat on either side of the station, were seen moving at different angles due to the space walk, adding to the uniqueness of the image.
McCarthy explained that he was able to get these unique details in his image and see the reconfiguration of the solar panels thanks to his knowledge of the mission which was broadcast live on the internet by NASA.
This is one of the few times when changes in structure can be easily observed from Earth.
In this image, you can see how the solar panel has been reoriented so that the International Space Station crew can install new devices.
British astronaut Tim Beck commented on the post in the photo on “Twitter”, saying: “Congratulations on having this wonderful photo of my old home.”
McCarthy chose to take the photo on the side of a road in Sacramento, Calif. Because the skies were clear.
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“I never expected to get this beautiful, rare photo of a mission unfolding overhead. Also, in the photo, the International Space Station passes right by my favorite moon crater, Copernicus. a world.”
The International Space Station contains eight wings of solar panels, each designed to produce a total of 250 kilowatts of power, the oldest of which was launched in 2000 and the last in 2009, all space shuttles now defunct.
It is working well now, the oldest is 21 years old. New solar panels will be placed in front of the old systems later this year, and they will launch on SpaceX next June.
Source: Daily Mail
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