Amazing Rocket Lunar Transit photo

Stunning photo shows a rocket pass in front of the Moon. “It’s possible that over 20 years have passed since an event like this was captured.”

Here’s how it was captured by Steve Rice:

The NG-14 Cygnus mission to the International Space Station passing in front of the Moon on October 2nd, 2020 at 9:16 PM. It’s wonderful to see the visible shockwaves emanating outward from the engines, separate from the superheated exhaust plume. That crackling sound you hear is the direct result of those shockwaves.

This occurred roughly 22 seconds after liftoff from Wallops Flight Facility and was shot from a distance of 3.2mi (5.1km) from the launch pad. For a sense of size, the Antares rocket is 139ft (42.5m) long and 13ft (3.9m) wide.

Photographing anything fast flying past the Moon, requires a combination of planning, luck and skill.

Image screen capture from video

The nine images Steve Rice shared on Instagram