NASA Astronaut Shares Photo of Moon Over Pacific Ocean: ‘Amazing’

NASA regularly captures stunning images of our universe, leaving space enthusiasts in awe. The space agency’s social media is a treasure trove for those who love educational videos and stunning images showcasing Earth and space. In the midst of this, NASA astronaut Matthew Dominik, who has been living aboard the International Space Station for about four months, captured a stunning image of a moonset over the Pacific Ocean.

The moon sets over the Pacific Ocean.

I went to the dome to photograph Tropical Storm Huon near Hawaii but right after we passed the storm the moon started to set.

400mm, ISO 500, 1/20000 sec, f2.8, cropped, noise free. pic.twitter.com/YtboVnRNpF

— Matthew Dominick (@dominickmatthew) August 24, 2024

“Moon setting over the Pacific Ocean. I went to the dome to photograph Tropical Storm Hona near Hawaii but after we passed the storm the moon started setting,” Mr. Dominic captioned the image. The now-viral image shows a beautiful celestial body with blue tones in the foreground from clouds and Earth’s atmosphere. “400mm, ISO 500, 1/20000 sec, f2.8, cropped, noise free,” Dominic wrote in his caption of the technical details of the stunning image.

Since being shared, the photo has garnered more than four million views and five thousand likes.

“Great shot!” one user commented.

Another said, “Star Wars vibes.”

“This picture touched my heart,” one person added.

“This is absolutely mind-boggling,” one user commented.

“It is amazing that it would take almost three days to reach the moon. The vastness of space makes us feel humbled and beautiful,” one user added.

“While this moon is beautiful, I was even more impressed by those towering clouds near the horizon… how high they reach!!” one person said.

A few days ago, NASA released a photo of the moonrise from a “unique vantage point” inside the International Space Station. The photo was also taken by Mr. Dominic. In the photo, the moon appears as a crescent above the Earth’s atmosphere. The planet resembles blue ocean water. “Layers of orange and black are visible beneath the blue horizontal band running across the center of the image. The crescent moon is white and stands out against the blackness of space,” the US government agency said in its description of the image.

“A slice of the moon rises from the night-time clouds and appears to be looking toward the horizon, awaiting the imminent sunrise,” the astronaut said, describing the scene.