The eclipse photo was snapped from an Earth orbit approximately 250 miles (402km) above the ground. NASA’s Christina Koch is currently one of three astronauts stationed aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Her highly unusual workplace gave the astronaut a front-row seat to see the Full Moon disappear in the Earth’s shadow. During last night’s (July 16) eclipse, around 60 percent of the Moon passed through the Earth’s umbra or darkest shadow
When viewed from Earth, sunlight refracted in the planet’s dusty atmosphere painted the Moon a deep orange colour.
In space, however, the Full Moon maintained its cold, white glow even at the peak of the eclipse.
Ms Koch tweeted a photo of the eclipsed Moon last night, praising its coincidental arrival on the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 launch.
The astronaut said: “The odds were in our favor on @Space_Station today.
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“So special to experience a partial lunar eclipse during the historic week of #Apollo50th celebrations.
“Dreaming of sights we’ll see on future Artemis missions.”
NASA landed on the Moon 50 years ago this month and the space agency is celebrating all week.
On July 16, 1969, NASA’s Apollo 11 mission blasted off from Cape Canaveral on a voyage to the Moon.
The Apollo 11 crew consisting of Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins succeeded in this mission four days later on July 20, 1969.
So special to experience a partial lunar eclipse
Christina Koch, NASA astronaut
Ms Koch celebrated this piece of monumental space exploration history, thanking everyone who made the Moon landing and the future space station a possibility.
Sharing a photo of the Apollo 11 rocket launch, she said: “Part of a team of hundreds of thousands, the three people on this rocket knew the next time they set foot on Earth, the world will have been changed forever.
“Honored to commemorate the #Apollo50th anniversary of the launch of Apollo 11 from the place that owes everything to them.”
Fellow NASA astronaut Nick Hague joined the jubilations, tweeting his own congratulatory message from space.
The astronaut shared photographs of the Apollo 11 crew, saying: “Honored to celebrate the launch of the iconic #Apollo11 trio from @Space_Station.
“Their dedication and service to space exploration served as an example growing up – especially the former @usairforce airmen whose epic lunar journey inspired me to venture to the cosmos myself.”
Both astronauts, together with Russian cosmonaut and ISS Commander Alexey Ovchinin are part of ISS Expedition 60.
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