A US-based photographer has clicked jaw-dropping photographs of the International Space Station (ISS) passing in front of the Sun with solar flares shooting out full-tilt. Hailing from Arizona, Andrew McCarthy managed to click the photographs after setting camp in the wilderness of the Sonoran Desert.
Known for his stunningly detailed pictures of the Sun and Moon, Mr McCarthy said it was one of his favourite photos as it not only captured a transitioning ISS in front of the star but also the solar flare.
"While waiting for the ISS to transit the Sun, a sunspot group started flaring, leading to this once-in-a-lifetime shot," wrote McCarthy on Instagram, adding that he named it the Kardashev Dreams, after Soviet astronomer Nikolai Kardashev, who proposed the Kardashev scale of measuring technological advancement.
"The most detailed solar transit photo I've ever done...I call the piece "Kardashev Dreams", representing our first steps to being a much greater civilisation."
Mr McCarthy said it was tricky taking the shot as it was scalding outside and the equipment kept getting hot.
"According to the thermometer in my car it was 121F outside when I got this shot. To mitigate the effects of the heat, I brought ice packs and thermoelectric coolers to help keep the telescopes and computers from overheating."
Social media reacts
As the picture went viral, social media users were in awe of Mr McCarthy's composition, with many stating that he might bag a few awards for the photograph.
"That's an absolutely insane shot. Second is favourite," said one user while another added: "This gotta win an award. Where can I vote?"
A third commented: "The average person will look at this photo and be like that's awesome but most have no idea how much time effort and planning it took the capture this. Well done sir!"
Quizzed by a user how he managed to focus on two objects that are "billions of kilometres apart", Mr McCarthy replied: "Millions, not billions. They're both infinity to the camera. After a few miles everything is, depth of field only applies for close distances while there's still parallax."
Notably, the ISS orbits Earth at an altitude of about 400 kilometres, meaning it was nowhere near to the Sun when the solar flare erupted. The space station orbits Earth once every 90 minutes or so, which means photographers can click a picture during this brief window, if they are lucky. However, it requires tremendous precision and skill to execute it in real time, as explained by Mr McCarthy.
