Photographer Captures Rare Shot of Venus and the ISS Together in One Frame

Photographer AJ Smadi recently achieved a rare feat in astrophotography by capturing the International Space Station and the planet Venus in a single frame. The alignment occurred while the ISS passed over Washington State at a speed of 7.5 kilometers per second. This event represents only the second time this specific cosmic pairing has been documented, with Smadi responsible for both records.

To secure the shot, Smadi performed precise calculations to identify the perfect vantage point. He utilized a 9.25-inch Celestron Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope with a 2,350mm focal length. By shooting short 1/150 of a second exposures, he generated enough uncompressed video data to stack ten individual frames, which revealed the necessary detail to show both the orbiting station and the planet.

While the two objects appear similar in size in the photograph, the reality involves a massive scale difference. Venus is roughly the size of Earth, while the ISS matches the width of a football stadium. The visual trick occurs due to the distance between them, which exceeds 135 million kilometers. Smadi previously documented other celestial events, including planetary transits and eclipses, using his equipment to bring deep space into focus.

This accomplishment highlights the technical precision required to photograph objects moving at high velocity across the sky. Smadi continues to share his work from Edmonds, Washington, where he tracks orbital paths and planetary alignments for his ongoing documentation of the solar system from a backyard perspective.