APOD: 2026 September 22 – Chance Triple Alignment: Plane, Space Station, Sun
APOD Science APOD APOD: 2026 September 22 –… Today’s APOD Archive Submissions Index Search Calendar RSS Education About Discuss APOD Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. Chance Triple Alignment: […]
On September 22, 2026, an unusual photograph captured the attention of astronomers and enthusiasts alike. The image, titled "Chance Triple Alignment: Plane, Space Station, Sun," showcased an unexpected alignment in the sky. The photograph, taken by Petr Horalek from Prasek in the Czech Republic, revealed a silhouette of an airplane partially eclipsing the Sun, alongside the International Space Station (ISS) which appeared as a small dark structure on the left side of the frame.
However, the photographer quickly clarified that the ISS was not present in the image, as it had been planned to capture the airplane's silhouette before the Sun, with sub-second timing. The resulting image of our Sun, with silhouettes of both the airplane and the ISS, is incredibly rare, with astronomers estimating the odds of such a coincidence happening by chance to be approximately 30 million to one.
The photograph highlights the intricate dance between celestial bodies and human-made objects, reminding us of the complexity and beauty of our universe.
Written by urgent.news from NASA's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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