Photographing moonsets and moonrises never got old, I took literally thousands of photographs of these, but this is one of my favorites. You see the waning crescent moon just before it dips below the earth’s horizon, which happens much faster in orbit than it does on the planet, as we are traveling at 5 miles (8 kilometers) per second. In this image you can see the slight brown hue of the lunar surface. You also see clouds on the earth’s surface, over the Atlantic Ocean.
The distinct lines in our blue atmosphere are also visible with the naked eye, but it does look slightly different in person, you can actually see divisions in the atmosphere that reach higher in altitude with your eye, whereas the camera’s chip captures slightly different delineations. I love the subtlety of this picture, the gradation of tones and the perspective of earth, covered in water and a thin, fragile atmosphere, looking out to our nearest neighbor, our moon, that is barren and lifeless. And beyond that only infinite blackness.
Location: International Space Station, Space
Photograph Date: 2014
Medium: Chromogenic Print
Edition: 200
Available Sizes: 70cm to 150cm
