ISS Spacewalk Captured In This Amazing Once-In-A-Lifetime Photo
Outer space often presents itself with countless beautiful photo-ops — something one photographer was recently reminded of when they captured an ISS spacewalk all the way from Earth. Astrophotography happens in a multitude of ways. Some of the most noteworthy photos come from professional instruments like Hubble and the Chandra Observatory. They offer incredible views of faraway galaxies, distant planets, growing stars, etc.
But these government-funded tools aren't the only things used for charting the universe. Just as impressive are pictures taken by everyday people. In December last year, astrophotographer Andrew McCarthy shared a jaw-dropping photo of the Sun. Using 15,000 different images to create a 300MP composite shot, the picture revealed the Sun in impeccable detail. More recently, numerous photographers captured the full Worm Moon to showcase the glowing orb over the March sky.
Now, astrophotographer Dr. Sebastian Voltmer (also known as @SeVoSpace on Twitter) has found their time in the spotlight thanks to a once-in-a-lifetime shot of a spacewalk on the International Space Station. Voltmer shared the photo on March 24, saying, "Yesterday I witnessed the spacewalk shortly after sunset... ESA astronaut Matthias Maurer was just 'climbing' at this moment." While it's fairly easy to spot the ISS from Earth if you know where to look, capturing the space station in such incredible detail is no small feat. Taking such a clear photo with two astronauts visible makes it all the more impressive.
A few days after sharing the photo, Voltmer posted an update and an annotated version of the picture that more clearly shows where the astronauts are. Maurer is seen as a small dot near the center of the ISS, while NASA astronaut Raja Chari is visible as another small dot slightly above Maurer. Talking about the picture on SpaceWeather, Voltmer said, "I feel like I just made a once-in-a-lifetime image. It's probably the first ground-based picture showing two spacewalkers on the ISS at the same time."
Spacewalk is the official word for any time an astronaut leaves their spacecraft to 'walk' in outer space. It's also a fairly common task for astronauts aboard the ISS. ISS spacewalks are used to conduct science experiments, test new equipment, repair damaged components, etc. During the spacewalk that Voltmer captured, astronauts Maurer and Chari spent almost 7 hours restoring various bits of equipment outside the space station. It's not the most glamorous or exciting work, but the fact that someone hundreds of miles away photographed it so clearly is beyond impressive.
Source: @SeVoSpace, SpaceWeather