An ordinary space shuttle launch (apparently) shot a blue laser at the Moon

This photo was taken back in 2001 , during a launching of the space shuttle Atlantis . On the left wing is the space shuttle ’s launch feather . On the right is the plume ’s shadow . So why is it pointing straight at the Moon ?

The effect is even more dramatic when you’re able to see the entire launching plume . Somehow , out of that chaotic great deal of smoke , comes a shadow that manoeuvre straight at the Moon . This is n’t the sort of thing you could see at just any space shuttle launch . rather , this is one sin of an amazing coincidence , as a NASA uranologist explains :

In early 2001 during a launch of Atlantis , the Sun , Earth , Moon , and arugula were all the right way align for this photogenic happenstance . First , for the outer space shuttle ’s plume to redact a long shadow , the metre of twenty-four hour period must be either near dayspring or sunset . Only then will the vestige be its longest and extend all the way to the horizon . Finally , during a Full Moon , the Sun and Moon are on opposite sides of the sky . Just after sundown , for good example , the Sun is slightly below the horizon , and , in the other direction , the Moon is slightly above the horizon . Therefore , as Atlantis blasted off , just after sunset , its shadower fancy away from the Sun toward the opposite horizon , where the Full Moon just materialize to be .

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