Shuttle Atlantis and Space Station pass in front of the Sun
Against the awesome backdrop of the sun, they are at first little more than specks.
Look a little closer, however, and you can make out the outline of solar panels, and next to it a dart-shaped silhouette.
This extraordinary image shows the Space Shuttle Atlantis docking with the International Space Station in front of the sun.
It was taken by astro-photographer Thierry Legault who, had he blinked at the crucial moment, would have missed it.
For despite detailed planning and even travelling from France to Spain to take the image, the actual event was visible for just 0.54 of a second because of the speed of the two spacecraft.
The 48-year-old Frenchman travelled to Madrid so he would be in the ideal location to watch the transit of the two spacecraft.
This placed him in the centre of a five-mile wide visibility band that stretched across Spain, southern France and Northern Italy.
Posted: 7:26:51 AM
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