Astrophotographer captures incredible image of ISS passing across the Sun, take a look

Written By DNA Web Team | Updated: Apr 08, 2021, 01:17 AM IST

(Image Source: Instagram/mehmet.erguen)

The viral photo has been shot by astrophotographer Mehmet Ergun on April 2 from his base in Germany.

If you like astronomy or simply love the mystery of stars, the Sun, or other celestial bodies then here's an interesting story for you. An amateur astrophotographer has taken an incredible image of the International Space Station (ISS) passing across the Sun.

The viral photo has been shot by Mehmet Ergun on April 2 from his base in Germany. Ergun said, "I was able to photograph the ISS again. I planned the shot about three weeks ago. Every time I am fascinated and excited at the same time."

Ergun captured the photo with a Lunt LS80 DSII solar scope, Rainbow RST-135 star tracker, a QHY5III174M camera, Hutech Hinode solar guider, and a 2x Meade Series 5000 Barlow Lens. It enabled him to photograph the ISS at the exact moment it passed 300 miles (500km) over his head in Alzey, Germany.

He has now successfully taken several images of the ISS in transit and posts them to his Instagram, where he has more than 14,000 followers. "This is my fourth ISS transit photo, and every time I am fascinated and excited at the same time," he said.

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The International Space Station (ISS) is the largest object ever put into space by humans and measures 357 feet long. 

Mehmet Ergun used a powerful telescope attached to a camera to capture 34 individual frames as the orbiting ISS crossed between planet Earth for less than one second. 

The images are then collated so the craft can be seen racing from one edge of the Sun to another in a short animation.

The tiny satellite-shaped spacecraft looks like a miniature model as it's seen racing from one side of our glowing orange Sun to the other.