Astronaut photographs majestic moon from the ISS
NASA astronaut Matthew Dominick takes an impressive photo of the moon that goes viral on social media.
After tropical storm Hone near Hawaii, the moon sets over the Pacific here.
(Image: Matthew Dominick/NASA)
Impressive images from on board the International Space Station (ISS) are not uncommon. But the image that NASA astronaut Matthew Dominick took from there is particularly impressive: it shows the moon in extraordinary size as it floats above a cloud cover several hundred kilometers below the ISS.
The photo was taken on August 27, 2024 and presents the moon in full light, with clear craters and shadows showing its surface in detail. Dominick explains that he originally wanted to photograph the tropical storm system Hone near Hawaii before seizing the opportunity to photograph the moon as it set.
Photographing astronaut
As a US Navy test pilot and NASA astronaut, Dominick has been on the ISS since March 2024 and is part of the SpaceX Crew 8 team. He is known on board not only for his scientific work, but also for his photographic skills. He regularly shares his photos on the X platform (formerly Twitter), where he has around 17,000 followers. In addition to pictures of the Earth and from space, he also shows images from inside the space station and experiments with various photographic techniques such as multiple or long exposures.
Workplace with a view
The ISS offers astronauts an extraordinary view, especially from the dome module, an area with seven windows offering a panoramic view of the Earth and space. Dominick is not the only astronaut to enjoy this view: French astronaut Thomas Pesquet has also taken many impressive photos of Earth and emphasizes how much planning goes behind such shots.
The recent publication of such a spectacular photo not only shows the fascinating dimensions of the Moon and Earth, but is also intended to increase public interest in space travel and underline the importance of scientific cooperation in space research. As a laboratory for scientific research and technological innovation in space, the ISS is a place of international cooperation between space agencies such as NASA, ESA, Roscosmos, JAXA and CSA.
(vat)
