Photographer Recreates Iconic Shot of E.T. Crossing the Moon
A photo of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial crossing the horizon silhouetted against the Moon was two years in the making, Michael Meighan tells PetaPixel.
Meighan and his friend Nathan Edwards set out to recreate the iconic scene from the Steven Spielberg-directed movie when E.T. takes flight on a BMX and crosses the Moon.
“We’d previously created a similar image where Nathan climbed a local hill near Cardiff, Wales, and I photographed him from roughly five kilometres away [three miles],” Meighan explains.
“The image was very well received on social media, and one comment suggested we try an E.T.-style shot next.”
Far More Difficult Than Expected
“Over the past two years, we attempted the concept several times,” Meighan says.
“We did manage to capture versions of the shot along the way, but there were always small issues — focus slightly off, shutter speeds not quite right, or some other detail that stopped me from being completely happy with the result.”
Meighan lives in Wales, U.K., meaning the weather is often against photographers wishing for clear skies.
“There were many nights when the skies were perfect, but the Moon wasn’t in the right position, and just as many when the alignment was ideal, but the weather let us down,” says Meighan.
“It was frustrating at times, but we kept at it, and finally, on the first full Moon of 2026, everything came together — and the image was exactly what we had envisioned.”
Meighan used a Sigma 150-60mm Sport lens; the longest focal length is enough to create the compression needed to pull the shot off.
Last month, PetaPixel featured the work of photographer Travis Burke, who captured a skateboarder silhouetted against Earth’s natural satellite in California.
The photo is reminiscent of the one astrophotographer Andrew McCarthy captured last month, showing a skydiver silhouetted in front of the Sun. McCarthy used his specialized astro cameras to capture something truly unique.
More of Meighan’s work can be found on his Instagram.
Image credits: Photographs by Michael Meighan
