In a rare celestial alignment, a solar flare erupted just as the International Space Station (ISS) passed in front of the Sun, resulting in a stunning photograph by Arizona-based astrophotographer Andrew McCarthy. Captured from the remote wilderness of the Sonoran Desert, the image is being hailed as one of McCarthy’s finest works to date.
Once-in-a-lifetime moment captured in Sonoran Desert
Known for his detailed composite images of the Sun and Moon, McCarthy set out to photograph a solar transit of the ISS — a fleeting moment when the orbiting space station crosses in front of the Sun from the viewer’s perspective. What he didn’t anticipate was a solar flare erupting in the background at the precise moment of transit.
“While waiting for the ISS to transit the Sun, a sunspot group started flaring, leading to this once-in-a-lifetime shot,” McCarthy wrote on Instagram. He titled the image Kardashev Dreams, a nod to Soviet astronomer Nikolai Kardashev, who introduced the Kardashev scale to measure a civilisation’s technological progress.
“The most detailed solar transit photo I’ve ever done…I call the piece ‘Kardashev Dreams’, representing our first steps to being a much greater civilisation,” he added.
To manage the extreme desert temperatures, which soared to 121°F (roughly 49.4°C), McCarthy said he used ice packs and thermoelectric coolers to prevent his telescopes and computing equipment from overheating. “According to the thermometer in my car it was 121F outside when I got this shot. To mitigate the effects of the heat, I brought ice packs and thermoelectric coolers to help keep the telescopes and computers from overheating.”
The final image, which McCarthy described as a composite mosaic, was created by continuing to photograph the Sun after the ISS had passed. “This is a composite mosaic, as I continued shooting the Sun after the transit to fill in the entire full disc in extreme detail,” he explained. He also revealed that certain elements, including the transition into negative space, were enhanced using material from the 2024 solar eclipse.
“The negative space has some elements composited in from the 2024 eclipse to transition the chromosphere to black, which aides in telling the story of everything happening on the Sun,” McCarthy wrote.
ISS safe from solar flare, despite dramatic imagery
Though visually dramatic, the ISS, which orbits Earth at approximately 400 kilometres, was never in danger from the flare. Experts note that while solar flares can increase radiation levels and affect onboard electronics, they typically pose no immediate threat to astronauts.
The station completes an orbit around Earth roughly every 90 minutes, offering rare opportunities for photographers like McCarthy to capture it crossing the Sun or Moon. These moments last only a fraction of a second, demanding precise timing, high-end gear, and meticulous planning.
Social media erupted with praise for McCarthy’s achievement, with many calling it award-worthy. One user commented, “That’s an absolutely insane shot. Second is favourite,” while another wrote, “This gotta win an award. Where can I vote?”
A third user noted the immense skill and patience behind the image: “The average person will look at this photo and be like that’s awesome but most have no idea how much time effort and planning it took to capture this. Well done sir!”
Responding to a follower who asked how he managed to focus on two objects “billions of kilometres apart,” McCarthy replied, “Millions, not billions. They’re both infinity to the camera. After a few miles everything is, depth of field only applies for close distances while there’s still parallax.”