Astrophotographer snaps moment the ISS transits a crescent moon at more than ... trends now

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The moment the International Space Station (ISS) travels more than 17,000 miles per hour across a crescent moon was captured in a stunning image by a backyard astrophotographer.

Andrew McCarthy, who snaps amazing shots of the cosmos, recently shared a photo showing the massive 356-foot-long orbiting laboratory looking like a shiny speck against the backdrop of a massive cratered moon.

McCarthy said he drove out to a remote location in the Sonoran Desert and set up his equipment among cacti in the 105°F heat, hoping to capture details of the station rarely visible in photos.

'This transit happened at 4:50 pm, so the sun was still out,' he said. 

'That made the moon much lower contrast and difficult to focus on using my equipment. Thankfully, the ISS still shines brightly enough to capture in conditions like this.'