It’s the culmination of tech, know-how and just the right timing.
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00:00This is our Sun.
00:05You know that star at the center of the solar system that provides light and heat to all
00:09the planets?
00:10And this photo of it was taken by Andrew McCarthy in California, using a 4000mm telescope attached
00:16to his camera.
00:17And while the 200 megapixel image is breathtaking in its own right, it's also hiding a little
00:21something for those patient enough to keep zooming in.
00:24That's because McCarthy wasn't simply taking a picture of the Sun, but rather capturing
00:27the moment the International Space Station passes right in front of it.
00:31This right here is the ISS, passing in front of the Sun in a quote, blinking you'll miss
00:36it, razor thin moment.
00:38McCarthy used a website that predicts when the space station will be in particular positions
00:41to time his shots.
00:42But even with the prediction, he says these passes are still invisible to the naked eye.
00:46Not that you should be looking at the Sun anyways.
00:48Luckily, his telescope can hook up to his computer, where he can spot it without sustaining
00:52eye damage.
00:53But this isn't his first ISS photo shoot either.
00:56He took these images of the space station passing in front of the Moon earlier this
00:59year, making us wonder just what crazy cosmic object he'll be photographing next.