In the photo, which was taken in 2013 but only released by ESA on Wednesday (Oct. 4), a bird crosses the sun at the same exact time as the space station. The entire photo session lasted just 1.2 seconds, making it a challenge for the astronomy club at ESA’s European Space Astronomy Centre near Madrid, Spain.
“It requires planning, patience and a measure of luck,” ESA officials wrote in an image description. “The camera must be set up at the right time in the right place to capture the Space Station as it flies past at 28,800 km/h [17,900 mph]. At such speeds the photographer has only seconds to capture the transit, and if any clouds block the view, [they’d have] to wait for another opportunity weeks later.” – Space.com
Featured image of a bird (flying up the center of the image) crosses the face of the sun at the same time as the International Space Station (diagonal path) in this composite image released Oct. 4, 2017, by the European Space Agency by European Space Agency