The Hubble Space Telescope appears as a small black dot zipping across the surface of the sun. (Image credit: Efrain Morales)

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's the Hubble Space Telescope transiting the sun at around 17,000 mph (27,000 kph).

The entire event lasted just 1.01 seconds, leaving Morales no margin for error.

The Hubble Space Telescope orbits at an altitude of about 340 miles (547 kilometers), completing one circuit of Earth every 95 minutes. Catching it against the sun requires not only perfect timing but also precise positioning on the ground.

Transit predictions showed that the alignment was visible within a 4.68-mile-wide (7.54 km) corridor on Earth, meaning that anyone wishing to catch the transit would have to be located at exactly the right place. Even then, the telescope took just 1.01 seconds to traverse the sun from Morales' vantage point — a fleeting encounter that could easily be missed without careful planning and high-speed imaging.

To capture this incredible footage, Morales relied on transit-prediction software to calculate the telescope's exact path across the sun, then paired that timing with a high-frame-rate imaging setup. He recorded the footage using a Lunt LS50THa solar scope, mounted on a CGX-L, alongside an ASI CMOS camera and Cemax 2x Barlows — equipment specifically designed for safe, detailed solar observations where every frame counts. (Reminder: Never observe or photograph the sun without such specialized safety gear.)

Unlike the International Space Station, which frequently steals the spotlight during solar transits thanks to its size, Hubble presents a far greater challenge. Measuring about 43 feet (13 meters) long, the iconic space telescope is roughly 10 times smaller than the ISS, making it much harder to resolve against the sun's brilliant surface.

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Daisy Dobrijevic joined Space.com in February 2022 having previously worked for our sister publication magazine as a staff writer. Before joining us, Daisy completed an editorial internship with the BBC Sky at Night Magazine and worked at the in Leicester, U.K., where she enjoyed communicating space science to the public. In 2021, Daisy completed a PhD in plant physiology and also holds a Master's in Environmental Science, she is currently based in Nottingham, U.K. Daisy is passionate about all things space, with a penchant for solar activity and space weather. She has a strong interest in astrotourism and loves nothing more than a good northern lights chase!