Friday, March 20, 2015

Thierry Legault Captures ISS Transit of the Sun — During Eclipse!

Thierry Legault Captures ISS Transit of the Sun — During Eclipse!:



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.


ISS transit of the Sun during the March 20. 2015 partial solar eclipse. Credit and copyright: Thierry Legault.


ISS transit of the Sun during the March 20. 2015 partial solar eclipse. Credit and copyright: Thierry Legault.
See more wonderful images of the eclipse at our gallery here. And see more of Thierry’s great work at his website.



About 

Nancy Atkinson is currently Universe Today's Contributing Editor. Previously she served as UT's Senior Editor and lead writer, and has worked with Astronomy Cast and 365 Days of Astronomy. Nancy is also a NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador.

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