Italian Photographer's Spectacular Moon Alignment Pic Captures NASA's Attention

In a rare feat, an Italian photographer captured a "one-in-a-million" lunar alignment shot that has gone viral on social media and left netizens mesmerised. The photographer from Italy's Turin, Valerio Minato, captured the extraordinary photo of the moon, which also earned him NASA's "Astronomy Picture of the Day" award in December. In the image, the moon is perfectly aligned with the peak of Monviso, the highest mountain in the Cottian Alps, and the Basilica of Superga's dome, which is situated near Turin. 

In an Instagram post, Mr Minato said that he snapped the picture on December 15, 2023. "Superga and Monviso had an unforgettable date with Luna," he wrote. "In a very small portion of heaven, for very few seconds, the King of Stone, the Basilica of Superga and the Crescent Moon met giving a unique spectacle. The so-called cinerea moon is also well visible: during the first and last phase of the lunar cycle the light of the Sun is reflected from the Earth towards the Moon, illuminating the portion of the surface in the shadow," the photographer added. 

Take a look at the picture below: 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Valerio Minato (@valeriominato)

Since being shared, Mr Minato's image has accumulated more than 362,000 likes on Instagram. In the comments section, while some users called the pic beautiful, others called it incredible. 

"This is surreal absolutely brilliant composition," commented one user. "To make a photo like this, it takes years of study, months of preparation and an immeasurable dose of passion/love for your job. Photographers like @valeriominato don't have to fear the arrival of artificial intelligence because they are real artists. This picture is touching, but if you add in the feeling of a Bull fan like me," wrote another. 

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"One of the most beautiful pictures I've ever seen! all your passion emerges, even the explanations you share, show all your study and great professionalism. Thank you for these presents!" expressed a third. "Congratulations!!!! Really spectacular and as a photographer I admire him even more... I take my hat off, maybe even more for everything that is behind the shot," added a fourth user. 

Mr Minato also shared a time-lapse video that captured the perfect moment when the moon aligned with the mountain and the Basilica dome. The video has amassed more than 3.8 million views and over 201,000 likes.