Astronaut in space snaps dramatic photo of the full moon caught in a sunset

BY MIRIAM KRAMER From Mashable

NASA astronaut Jeff Williams captured an incredible photo of the full moon just above the horizon as the sun set from the International Space Station Tuesday.

The new image shows thunderstorms above China illuminated by the angled light of Earth’s closest star as it starts to dip below the horizons.

“A spectacular rise of the full moon just before sunset while flying over western China,” Williams wrote on Twitter.

This full moon — known as the “strawberry moon” — actually fell on the summer solstice for the first time in 67 years, according to NASA. 

A spectacular rise of the full moon just before sunset while flying over western China.

The Space Station, which speeds through its orbit at more than 17,000 miles per hour, actually experiences about 16 sunrises and sunsets per day. The space laboratory completes a full orbit of Earth every 90 minutes.

Because of this, astronauts have a unique opportunity to capture views of Earth from above, and Williams has been making the most of it.

Since he got to space in March, the veteran astronaut has been tweeting out photos of vistas visible only from the station’s orbit.

Just in the last week, Williams shared photos of Australia, the Sahara desert and North Dakota.

Williams is expected to continue living and working on the Space Station until September, when he and two other crew members are scheduled to fly back to Earth.

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