Star Witness: Stunning shot of plane on the moon
This stunning picture of a passenger aircraft flying across a full moon was the result of a piece of lucky timing for Shropshire photographer Jonathan Hughes.
"I was out in the back garden and had put my camera on to a telescope," he said.
Mr Hughes sent the photo to Star Witness, Shropshirestar.com's showcase for reader photos, where contributers are in for a £100 monthly prize. For more details visit shropshirestar.com/starwitness
He said: "I had been taking pictures of the moon and was just about to finish when I saw the plane.
"The camera was all set up so I just took the shot and luckily got it in a good spot.
"It travelled so fast it is was gone almost straight away."
The atmospheric shot shows the jet aircraft as a tiny speck on the face of the full moon, brightly illuminated against the black evening sky.
The almost-central position of the aircraft against the moon illustrates the split-second timing involved in capturing the image.
The 40-year-old from Mount Pleasant in Shrewsbury is a keen photographer and astronomer and took the picture from his back garden using a camera attached to one of his two telescopes.
Hobbies that include optical equipment like cameras and telescopes are an extension of the day job for Mr Hughes, who was starting a new job making glasses at Specsavers in Wellington today after 20 years working at opticians around the county.
He said he had enjoyed some success with his photography, selling several images on the internet.
He said: "It's been a hobby for a while and I have sold quite a few pictures through istock.
"Astronomy is a hobby as well."
The picture was taken shortly after 8pm on September 19.
To see more readers' photos visit shropshirestar.com/starwitness
