NASA Astronaut Shares Pic Of Moon Over The Pacific: "Mind-Boggling"

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) regularly captures stunning images of our universe, leaving space lovers mesmerized. The social media handles of the US Space Agency are a treasure trove for those who love to watch educational videos and fascinating images showcasing Earth and space. Amid this, NASA astronaut Matthew Dominick, who has been living aboard the International Space Station for about four months, recently captured a remarkable photo of the moon setting over the Pacific.

The moon setting over the Pacific.

Went to the cupola to shoot Tropical Storm Hone near Hawaii but right after we passed by the storm the moon started to set.

400mm, ISO 500, 1/20000s shutter speed, f2.8, cropped, denoised. pic.twitter.com/YtboVnRNpF

— Matthew Dominick (@dominickmatthew) August 24, 2024

"The moon setting over the Pacific. Went to the cupola to shoot Tropical Storm Hone near Hawaii but right after we passed by the storm the moon started to set," Mr Dominick said in the caption of the picture. The now-viral image shows a beautiful sight of the heavenly body with blue hues in the foreground from clouds and the earth's atmosphere. Giving technical specifics about the magnificent photo, he wrote, "400mm, ISO 500, 1/20000s shutter speed, f2.8, cropped, denoised."

Since being shared, the picture has amassed over four lakh views and five thousand likes.

"Great shot!" remarked a user.

Another said, "Star Wars vibes"

"This photograph touched my heart," added a person.

"This is absolutely mind-boggling," commented a user.

A user added, "And to think it still take nearly 3 days to arrive to the moon. The vastness of space is so humbling and so beautiful."

"While that moon is beautiful, I was more impressed by those towering clouds near the horizon... How high do they reach!!" said a person.

A few days ago, the American space agency shared a picture of moonrise from a "unique vantage point" inside the International Space Station. The picture was also clicked by Mr Dominick. In the image, a crescent-shaped moon is seen above the Earth's atmosphere. The planet resembles ocean-blue water. "Layers of orange and black appear underneath the horizontal band of blue stretching across the centre of the image. The crescent moon is white and stands out against the blackness of space," the US government organisation said in the description of the image.

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A post shared by NASA Artemis (@nasaartemis)

While describing the scene, the astronaut said, "A sliver of a moon rises out of noctilucent clouds and appears to look towards the horizon awaiting the imminent sunrise."