Amazing photo of the day: ISS and Shuttle Atlantis crossing the Sun

Anyone who has even a passing interest in astrophotography will undoubtedly be aware of Thierry Legault and how the man is to amateur astronomy what Einstein was to physics. His genius in his work has been captured again and again, and now, he may just have outdone himself (once more):

ISS and Shuttle Atlantis silhouetted against the Sun Biggest egg yolk EVAR [click for full size [3200×3200]]

Of course, that big yellow blob is the Sun. But, take a look at those dark specs in the upper-right corner. No, they aren’t odd sunspots – the larger right-hand one is the International Space Station, and the smaller left-hand one is the Space Shuttle orbiter Atlantis. Thierry somehow managed to catch them just as they were crossing between the Sun and the Earth, a transit that lasted only half-a-second.

Sweet stuff, to say the very least.

Read more about the story behind the pic at Bad Astronomy.