Photographer Takes 'Once-In-Lifetime' Shot Of The Moon Looking Like Saturn

A photographer has been praised for capturing a 'once-in-a-lifetime' snap of the Moon looking like Saturn.

Francisco Sojuel, from Guatemala, captured the stunning image on Christmas Eve two years ago.

In the picture, which was posted to his Instagram account, we see the Moon shining brightly in the night sky, with a thin dusting of cloud cutting across it.

At first, it looks just like Saturn, but according to the photographer, the illusion is actually caused by something called a cirrostratus cloud, which is made up of ice crystals.

The impressive snap was reportedly captured following a six-hour hike up the Guatemalan volcano Acatenango, two days before a solar eclipse.

Sharing it to his page, the 25-year-old said: "The night the moon dressed like Saturn⁣⁣.

"⁣⁣From afar you may wonder, 'Is that an asteroid ring around the moon?' Well, the disguise of this waning moon is actually a thin cirrostratus cloud.

"The way the cloud interacts with the moon creates a unique display of beauty that steals protagonism from the surrounding stars. Below the moon? The dimly lit silhouette of volcano Pacaya and the Guatemalan highlands can be appreciated.⁣⁣"

Since it was posted, the photo has received dozens of comments, with people praising Francisco's skill.

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One user said: "I love this photo!"

Echoing the sentiment, another commented: "Fantastic."

"Beautiful," wrote a third.

While another added: "Amazing!"

If this has got you hankering for some more Moon-rich content, we've got just the thing for you.

How about living there?

It's a long way off - that's if we are ever able to live there - but experts have released the first-ever lunar mortgage guide, which has estimated how much it would cost to live there.

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The figures suggest that you'd have to shell out a cool $325,067 (£234,000) a month.

Experts at Money claim that before anything else, you'd need to get yourself a land license. One acre of land on the Moon's most sought-after location, 'the Sea of Rains', would cost you a respectable £94.87, whereas a license in the 'Sea of Vapours' would cost £13.64.

Then you'd need tools, equipment and materials, as well as workers to help out (unless you're a DIY master).

It's expected to cost around £5.8 million to transport everything, because - believe it or not - there's no B&Q 384,400km away from civilisation.

Topics: Instagram, Art, Interesting, travel, space, Moon

Dominic Smithers

Dominic graduated from the University of Leeds with a degree in French and History. Like you, Dom has often questioned how much use a second language has been. Well, after stints working at the Manchester Evening News, the Accrington Observer and the Macclesfield Express, along with never setting foot in France, he realised the answer is surprisingly little. But I guess, c'est la vie. Contact us at [email protected]

@SmithersDom