NASA APOD Captures Rare Triple Alignment of Plane, ISS, and Sun

NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD) for September 22, 2026 features a striking image of a rare triple alignment involving an aircraft, the International Space Station, and the Sun. The phenomenon occurred by pure chance, with all three objects lining up simultaneously in the sky. APOD, a long-running NASA initiative, publishes a daily astronomy image accompanied by an explanation from a professional astronomer. Such alignments are considered extremely uncommon due to the precise timing and positioning required for all three objects to appear in the same frame.