AI Insight
Astrophotographer A.J. Smadi captured a rare daylight photograph of the International Space Station appearing to pass beside Venus on July 18, 2026, from Edmonds, Washington. Using a 9.25-inch Celestron Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope with specialized UV and infrared filters, Smadi aligned the two objects despite the ISS traveling at 4.6 miles per second and being 84 million miles closer to Earth than Venus. This marked Smadi's second successful capture of this challenging astronomical pairing, following a similar photograph in 2025 that was selected as a NASA Astronomy Photo of the Day.
Why it matters
This photograph demonstrates advanced astrophotography techniques for capturing space objects during daylight hours, requiring precise timing calculations and specialized filtering to overcome atmospheric interference and daylight conditions. The achievement showcases how skilled amateur astronomers can document complex celestial alignments that require extensive planning and technical expertise.
Understand the Science
An astrophotographer captured a breathtaking scene as the International Space Station zoomed by Venus in the daytime sky.
What is it?
Photographer AJ Smadi set up the scene on July 18 in a park near Seattle, Washington. Smadi used a 9.25″ (23.5 cm) Celestron Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope and a ZWO ASI662MC camera equipped with an ultraviolet and infrared filter to capture the incredible image.
But this isn’t the first time Smadi has pulled off such a feat. Just over a year ago, the photographer captured the ISS beside Venus in a photo that was selected by NASA as one of its Astronomy Photos of the Day.
“The thing that inspired me to capture Venus with the ISS is the fact that nobody has done it before,” Smadi told Space.com by email. “After having realized this in April 2025 following my first time capturing the pair together, I was determined to best my own achievement,” Smadi said.
Smadi regularly photographs the ISS but says the clarity differs greatly depending on the stability of the air and its distance.
Why is it incredible?
Capturing Venus, the ISS, or any other object in space (other than the moon) during the daylight hours takes careful planning and a deep understanding of astrophotography techniques and filters.
The ISS travels at a mind-boggling 4.6 miles per second (7.5 km per second) and is 84 million miles (135 million kilometers) away from Venus, so lining up a photograph of the two seemingly side-by-side is no easy feat and takes painstaking planning.
For more of AJ Smadi’s work, including photos of the ISS transiting the sun, the moon, and passing by Saturn, visit his Instagram.
Source: ISS meets Venus in incredible daylight photo | Space photo of the day for July 28, 2026