Earth Observations taken by the Expedition Seven crew

ISS007-E-05379 (11 May 2003) --- The moon seems to be floating inside Earth’s atmosphere as it was photographed by an Expedition 7 crewmember onboard the International Space Station (ISS) while above Russia. It’s an illusion, of course. The moon is really a quarter of a million miles away. The picture is tricky because of its uneven lighting. The sun’s elevation angle is only 6 degrees. On the left side of the image, night is falling; on the right side, it’s still broad daylight. This gradient of sunlight is the key to the illusion.